MD/VA/DC Golfers - Ten Seconds or Less

[Kent01putt]

So had a good day yesterday at the company tournament, 3 of us shot 62 on a par 73 course. Really only two of us as the third player was useless. BUT I won a Cobra F7 diver with the right shaft in it. Guy said you could get a app that will track your drives for free. Anybody know about this?

[dcmidnight]

So had a good day yesterday at the company tournament, 3 of us shot 62 on a par 73 course. Really only two of us as the third player was useless. BUT I won a Cobra F7 diver with the right shaft in it. Guy said you could get a app that will track your drives for free. Anybody know about this?

 

Is it the one with the Arccos unit built into the grip?

[misplacedtexan83]

So had a good day yesterday at the company tournament, 3 of us shot 62 on a par 73 course. Really only two of us as the third player was useless. BUT I won a Cobra F7 diver with the right shaft in it. Guy said you could get a app that will track your drives for free. Anybody know about this?

 

https://www.cobragolf.com/tryconnect

 

I gave one to City for the 7s prize ...my bag would pull the sensor off.

 

Grint keeps all the same stats it seems...

[dcmidnight]

Waiting for Chief's full writeup from Erin Hills be like...

 

[TheCityGame]

I feel like I'm pretty square and fast enough right now. Just really need to groove some things.

 

I'm genuinely interested in hearing more about this. What kind of stuff are you specifically planning to work on in relation to the wedge game and driving? What kind of stuff are you doing to practice? Are you changing the way to try to play certain shots?

Go back to the thinned wedge for a minute.

 

Why would something like that happen? Ball position, improper weight shift, early extension, inconsistent arm radius, equipment issue. All things you can measure, draw lines on, try to correct.

 

Maybe it's early extension. Well, why am I early extending? Because my back swing is too flat? Because my hips aren't flexible? Because my ball position is off? Because my set up is wrong? Because whatever whatever whatever.

 

None of that matters one f'n bit when you're standing over the ball on 18 off a tight lie trying to stiff one to win a tournament on a shot you've hit a million times.

 

So, it beats the f out of me. That same day I'd had a half-wedge to an elevated green on 3 that I hit really nicely, same thing on 5. I actually had just hit a sick pinchy chip from over 17 where about 10 different things could have gone wrong. I'd just hit a perfectly fine PW off a tight lie four holes previous so I had a good mental image in my mind. I had no issues with wedge play all day.

 

I've hit that wedge shot in competition before. I've hit it a million times on the range. I've hit it a million times practicing on the course. I can't even remember right now what might have gone wrong. The ball was a hair below my feet. I don't remember if I went through my routine properly (which consists of enough half-practice swings until I truly trust the bottom, and then getting a clear mental picture of the ball flight, and visualizing the club removing a dollar bill divot starting just after the ball).

 

So, you tell me.

 

TWO million shots?

 

A sports psychologist?

 

There's no prescription at some point. There's no golf doctor who is going to tell you something that can make "99 times out of 100" into "100 out of 100".

 

My idea : Dig it out of the dirt. Two million shots. Range work with the divot starting after the ball. Focus on getting into the PSR every single time. Practice to try to get my mind into "game mode" over every wedge I hit. Make sure when I'm practicing on the course that I don't just hit 4/5 wedges close. I need to hit the first ball I walk up on close. I need to do it off different lies, to front pins, back pins, side pins.

 

If you want something you can wrap your head around, one thing I'm going to start focusing on in practice is a straighter left arm, wider arc and a little more hip turn. I've played with this a little in the past, more on the range and when I start grooving it, I'm getting noticeably more carry out of the driver, higher long irons. I've never really committed to it before because there's been other issues.

[FAbb]

Bump

[misplacedtexan83]

I feel like I'm pretty square and fast enough right now. Just really need to groove some things.

 

I'm genuinely interested in hearing more about this. What kind of stuff are you specifically planning to work on in relation to the wedge game and driving? What kind of stuff are you doing to practice? Are you changing the way to try to play certain shots?

Go back to the thinned wedge for a minute.

 

Why would something like that happen? Ball position, improper weight shift, early extension, inconsistent arm radius, equipment issue. All things you can measure, draw lines on, try to correct.

 

Maybe it's early extension. Well, why am I early extending? Because my back swing is too flat? Because my hips aren't flexible? Because my ball position is off? Because my set up is wrong? Because whatever whatever whatever.

 

None of that matters one f'n bit when you're standing over the ball on 18 off a tight lie trying to stiff one to win a tournament on a shot you've hit a million times.

 

So, it beats the f out of me. That same day I'd had a half-wedge to an elevated green on 3 that I hit really nicely, same thing on 5. I actually had just hit a sick pinchy chip from over 17 where about 10 different things could have gone wrong. I'd just hit a perfectly fine PW off a tight lie four holes previous so I had a good mental image in my mind. I had no issues with wedge play all day.

 

I've hit that wedge shot in competition before. I've hit it a million times on the range. I've hit it a million times practicing on the course. I can't even remember right now what might have gone wrong. The ball was a hair below my feet. I don't remember if I went through my routine properly (which consists of enough half-practice swings until I truly trust the bottom, and then getting a clear mental picture of the ball flight, and visualizing the club removing a dollar bill divot starting just after the ball).

 

So, you tell me.

 

TWO million shots?

 

A sports psychologist?

 

There's no prescription at some point. There's no golf doctor who is going to tell you something that can make "99 times out of 100" into "100 out of 100".

 

My idea : Dig it out of the dirt. Two million shots. Range work with the divot starting after the ball. Focus on getting into the PSR every single time. Practice to try to get my mind into "game mode" over every wedge I hit. Make sure when I'm practicing on the course that I don't just hit 4/5 wedges close. I hit to the first ball I walk up on close. I need to do it off different lies, to front pins, back pins, side pins.

 

If you want something you can wrap your head around, one thing I'm going to start focusing on in practice is a straighter left arm, wider arc and a little more hip turn. I've played with this a little in the past, more on the range and when I start grooving it, I'm getting noticeably more carry out of the driver, higher long irons. I've never really committed to it before because there's been other issues.

 

You were geared/psyched up, no? You already imagining Cityfisting the hole?

 

You got quick man... you were pumped up and got quick. You can say it's P3, etc but I think you were just out of sync.

 

I'm not going to say pressure because you don't believe in tourney pressure. But if your adrenaline is through the roof.. sometimes mistakes happen.

 

The same reason you see pros club down in that situation and blast it pin high still.

 

You have got bitten twice now.. I expect you to slay that dragon the 3rd time.

[vtnerf]

Picked up the beer City got for me on Saturday. Meet the guy in the grass lot behind Burley...a lot of CRV's and Subarus back there. And neck beards...

Guy hands me the beer and says "Met your guy last night to pick it up." So immediately he's disassociating himself from City. "Your" guy...not "City".

So, I respond with "Yeah, he's a unique individual..."

I get a ."Pffftttt...yeah he is."

Didn't go any further, but oh to be a fly.

[dcmidnight]

In my 2nd to last mens league match of the year, I had an 85 yard shot into the 9th hole. I've hit that shot hundreds of times on that hole specifically and thousands of times on the range. I bladed the crap of it, over the green and into the cart park area. Match over. Mortified - and no idea why it happened.

 

That week I went out to the range and planned to tape myself hitting that same shot for about 15 minutes. After @ a dozen shots I hit the same terrible bladed shot. Went back and watched and it was clear as heck I just stood right up out of the shot.

 

No idea what your specific sitch is but try taping yourself for a while hitting those shots. Point isn't to analyze the good ones, its just to try and catch a bad one on tape.

[Johnny T]

I noticed that this time of year seems to be the overseeding time out there. Didn't really know they would close the whole course down though, so thanks for that heads up.

 

 

Bali Hai was #1 on the list due to convenience but it seems pricey. I guess when all things are considered, it wouldn't be that much more expensive than riding out to Paiute.

 

 

Tex - the Mirage is "free" so we are rolling with it. It is where her work conference thingie is anyway.

[TheCityGame]

I feel like I'm pretty square and fast enough right now. Just really need to groove some things.

 

I'm genuinely interested in hearing more about this. What kind of stuff are you specifically planning to work on in relation to the wedge game and driving? What kind of stuff are you doing to practice? Are you changing the way to try to play certain shots?

Go back to the thinned wedge for a minute.

 

Why would something like that happen? Ball position, improper weight shift, early extension, inconsistent arm radius, equipment issue. All things you can measure, draw lines on, try to correct.

 

Maybe it's early extension. Well, why am I early extending? Because my back swing is too flat? Because my hips aren't flexible? Because my ball position is off? Because my set up is wrong? Because whatever whatever whatever.

 

None of that matters one f'n bit when you're standing over the ball on 18 off a tight lie trying to stiff one to win a tournament on a shot you've hit a million times.

 

So, it beats the f out of me. That same day I'd had a half-wedge to an elevated green on 3 that I hit really nicely, same thing on 5. I actually had just hit a sick pinchy chip from over 17 where about 10 different things could have gone wrong. I'd just hit a perfectly fine PW off a tight lie four holes previous so I had a good mental image in my mind. I had no issues with wedge play all day.

 

I've hit that wedge shot in competition before. I've hit it a million times on the range. I've hit it a million times practicing on the course. I can't even remember right now what might have gone wrong. The ball was a hair below my feet. I don't remember if I went through my routine properly (which consists of enough half-practice swings until I truly trust the bottom, and then getting a clear mental picture of the ball flight, and visualizing the club removing a dollar bill divot starting just after the ball).

 

So, you tell me.

 

TWO million shots?

 

A sports psychologist?

 

There's no prescription at some point. There's no golf doctor who is going to tell you something that can make "99 times out of 100" into "100 out of 100".

 

My idea : Dig it out of the dirt. Two million shots. Range work with the divot starting after the ball. Focus on getting into the PSR every single time. Practice to try to get my mind into "game mode" over every wedge I hit. Make sure when I'm practicing on the course that I don't just hit 4/5 wedges close. I hit to the first ball I walk up on close. I need to do it off different lies, to front pins, back pins, side pins.

 

If you want something you can wrap your head around, one thing I'm going to start focusing on in practice is a straighter left arm, wider arc and a little more hip turn. I've played with this a little in the past, more on the range and when I start grooving it, I'm getting noticeably more carry out of the driver, higher long irons. I've never really committed to it before because there's been other issues.

 

You were geared/psyched up, no? You already imagining Cityfisting the hole?

 

You got quick man... you were pumped up and got quick. You can say it's P3, etc but I think you were just out of sync.

 

I'm not going to stay pressure because you don't believe in tourney pressure. But if your adrenaline is through the roof.. some mistakes can happen

 

The same reason you see pros club down in that situation and blast it pin high still.

 

You have got bitten twice now.. I expect you to slay that dragon the 3rd time.

Nonsense. All of this.

 

Every single bit of it.

 

I was equally as geared up on the five-iron second shot. I hit it dead nuts.

 

I had just hit essentially perfect shots twice in a row on 16, twice in a row on 17, and two good shots on 18. A switch didn't get flipped coming into the green.

 

OK, so I screwed up that shot, and I screwed up a shot in the club championship.

 

You want a list of shots I didn't screw up? And then you want to compare the percentages to my normal "screw up". You want to talk about the wedge I hit in on the final hole of the member-member this year, and the putt I made after that? You want to talk about the eagles and birdies and wedges and putts in my dad's member-guest that are basically $500 dollar skins?

 

Sorry Tex, but this is above your pay grade.

[misplacedtexan83]

I noticed that this time of year seems to be the overseeding time out there. Didn't really know they would close the whole course down though, so thanks for that heads up.

 

 

Bali Hai was #1 on the list due to convenience but it seems pricey. I guess when all things are considered, it wouldn't be that much more expensive than riding out to Paiute.

 

 

Tex - the Mirage is "free" so we are rolling with it. It is where her work conference thingie is anyway.

 

Smart man..

 

No one wi judge you if you say drink all day and play the Pennie slots ;)

[misplacedtexan83]

Your last statement is funny

 

 

I love you how you throw out anyone's suggestion that could show a mental weakness

 

Your wedge game has been your weakness for the past 2 or more years... fact.

 

Sorry I guess this is a place you need to be a 2 or below to give out thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheCityGame]

That week I went out to the range and planned to tape myself hitting that same shot for about 15 minutes. After @ a dozen shots I hit the same terrible bladed shot. Went back and watched and it was clear as heck I just stood right up out of the shot.

Why?

 

That's the question. You hit 12 good shots, then stood up and bladed one. Why did you do that, and how do you not do it again?

[TheCityGame]

Your wedge game has been your weakness for the past 2 or more years... fact.

Ok.

 

Then why were you telling me it's because of "pressure"?

 

Any suggestion you want to give me I'm open to, but it's only taken you two posts to contradict yourself.

 

You can tell me my wedge game sucks, or you can tell me my wedge game is fine, but it collapsed under pressure.

 

But, whichever one it is, the rest of the evidence has to support it.

[dcmidnight]

That week I went out to the range and planned to tape myself hitting that same shot for about 15 minutes. After @ a dozen shots I hit the same terrible bladed shot. Went back and watched and it was clear as heck I just stood right up out of the shot.

Why?

 

That's the question. You hit 12 good shots, then stood up and bladed one. Why did you do that, and how do you not do it again?

 

Who knows, nerves, too slow in transition, wasn't paying enough attention...whatever.

 

I don't care why I did it - the point was it was clear as heck what I had done and now I make sure its my last swing though before I hit that shot.

[FAbb]

I find this stuff fascinating.

 

There's no prescription at some point. There's no golf doctor who is going to tell you something that can make "99 times out of 100" into "100 out of 100".

 

Abso-flipping-lutely. We see shanks, chunks, tops, skulled bunker shots, and missed tap-ins on the PGA Tour. Nobody is immune to the occasional terrible shot. You can decrease their frequency, but they're just not going to disappear.

 

I'm interested more generally in how you're going to improve your wedge game, as opposed to micro-dissecting one bad shot. You talked about working low-point on the range. Is contact your main issue? Just trying to call up memories of wedge shots I've seen you hit over the years, I guess maybe that's true. I can certainly recall the occasional thin wedge being your big miss. I could be totally wrong, but isn't your more common miss to come up short? Is that a contact issue when that happens? Is it just not hitting the shots hard enough? Are you scooping them a bit, and not compressing them at all? Do you have a sort of wedge-specific swing you put on the ball? Dialing in a wedge swing (really just a 3/4 hold-off release swing that can be applied elsewhere) has been a huge asset for me. So much better directional, low-point, and distance control than going full out with a wedge.

[vtnerf]

City will take advice from OCRick but not Tex?

[pquarta1]

City, did you miss your yogurt and grapefruit mix this AM?

[TheCityGame]

That week I went out to the range and planned to tape myself hitting that same shot for about 15 minutes. After @ a dozen shots I hit the same terrible bladed shot. Went back and watched and it was clear as heck I just stood right up out of the shot.

Why?

 

That's the question. You hit 12 good shots, then stood up and bladed one. Why did you do that, and how do you not do it again?

 

Who knows, nerves, too slow in transition, wasn't paying enough attention...whatever.

 

I don't care why I did it - the point was it was clear as heck what I had done and now I make sure its my last swing though before I hit that shot.

So, I'd label that that you're addressing it with your PSR.

 

That's generally my approach, too.

 

But, it puts me in a rabbit hole.

 

1) You learn to stay down on wedges at some point.

2) You come up on a wedge in a game.

3) You know you need to stay down, so you address this with PSR on the range, in other rounds.

4) You come up on a wedge again in a game.

5) You go, "dang, I know my PSR addresses this, but kind of I forgot to get into my PSR appropriately on that shot."

6) Now, do you make a PPSR?

[dcmidnight]

If I forget to run my PSR, that's on me.

 

Honestly, only you can decide if its just a bad shot and blip on the radar or something you need to address.

 

Bad shots happen. Example - I've streamlined and dialed in my putting PSR and I'm at the point where I'm nearing 100% confidence that I'm going to put a good stroke on the ball and its going to start on the exact line I want it to. I've done enough practice sessions with the Alignment Pro now that I know it works. But some days, the putts aren't going in. At NW I missed a ton of putts an inch or so from the high side. I started them on the line I wanted to but whatever, its one of those days. But I didn't come home and immediately think about a new putter putting routine.

[TheCityGame]

Dialing in a wedge swing (really just a 3/4 hold-off release swing that can be applied elsewhere) has been a huge asset for me. So much better directional, low-point, and distance control than going full out with a wedge.

I am actually working on that and I don't have my distances dialed in so I am defaulting back to the full shot when I have something like that.

 

For instance, 95 yards is a full 54º. I've been working on a 3/4 GW that comes in low.

 

Well, wouldn't you know it. . .we get to Caves and on hole 14 (our 5), I've got 94 yards to a front pin, elevated green, over a bunker. Guess what. . .that low GW isn't going to do it. Thinned the 54º over the green.

 

Also, at BM, the greens weren't holding. I had to hit a high shot coming in, so 3/4 PW was not the shot there. Maybe a 3/4 GW that just carried the front bunker and released a little.

[pquarta1]

I am going to agree with Tex's general notion. You can hit great shots when geared up and with a slightly quicker-than-usual tempo, but it increases the odds of hitting a bad one, and getting into your most typical miss. I'd also suggest that the approach shot was not as pressure packed than a wide open tee shot and second shot.

 

It was was the 5 percenter, and it reared its ugly head at a bad time, but a time of heightened susceptibility to "the miss."

 

Technique wise, I think you have much less rotation on your shorter swings. Get flippy, so increased chances of hitting one thin and/or left of target. Your D swing is fluid comparatively.

 

I wouldn't stress too much about it. S happens.

[FAbb]

[TheCityGame]

If I forget to run my PSR, that's on me.

 

Honestly, only you can decide if its just a bad shot and blip on the radar or something you need to address.

 

Bad shots happen. Example - I've streamlined and dialed in my putting PSR and I'm at the point where I'm nearing 100% confidence that I'm going to put a good stroke on the ball and its going to start on the exact line I want it to. I've done enough practice sessions with the Alignment Pro now that I know it works. But some days, the putts aren't going in. At NW I missed a ton of putts an inch or so from the high side. I started them on the line I wanted to but whatever, its one of those days. But I didn't come home and immediately think about a new putter putting routine.

I feel you.

 

If I don't go into my PSR, that's on me. But, it's still something I need to address. I don't panic every time I miss a shot. . .this happens more frequently than it should so it has to be addressed.

[dagoose383]

You know who has a really fluid D swing?

 

DJ.

 

At least that's what Paulina says.

 

 

(I'm not smart enough to contribute to this discussion)

[dcmidnight]

 

[dcmidnight]

I feel you.

 

If I don't go into my PSR, that's on me. But, it's still something I need to address. I don't panic every time I miss a shot. . .this happens more frequently than it should so it has to be addressed.

 

Have you thought about a temporary course management solution? IE, if X yardage is really flummoxing you right now (for whatever reason, doesn't matter) do whatever you can not to leave yourself those shots. I know those distances come up randomly - like if you get in trouble and have to punch out - but do whatever you have to do to leave yourself 20 yards further back to hit a full...whatever.

[Gmen1204]

Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance.

[FAbb]

Dialing in a wedge swing (really just a 3/4 hold-off release swing that can be applied elsewhere) has been a huge asset for me. So much better directional, low-point, and distance control than going full out with a wedge.

I am actually working on that and I don't have my distances dialed in so I am defaulting back to the full shot when I have something like that.

 

For instance, 95 yards is a full 54º. I've been working on a 3/4 GW that comes in low.

 

Well, wouldn't you know it. . .we get to Caves and on hole 14 (our 5), I've got 94 yards to a front pin, elevated green, over a bunker. Guess what. . .that low GW isn't going to do it. Thinned the 54º over the green.

 

Also, at BM, the greens weren't holding. I had to hit a high shot coming in, so 3/4 PW was not the shot there. Maybe a 3/4 GW that just carried the front bunker and released a little.

 

We're very similar distance-wise. I'm almost never hitting a SW from 95 yards. That's really reaching into max distance territory for that club, and I really don't like that with wedges. The chunk and the skull become more likely. The chances I start it off line get higher. The spin on that controlled GW probably stops that shot better than you'd think as well. You might get one bounce, but then it's gonna grab.

 

Again though, I'm trying to avoid going after too many very specific examples. Going more for general things I think we can see in good wedge players. Watch some PGA guys hitting wedges on youtube. I think they're taking a more controlled length backswing, and rotating through the shots without a lot of active hand and arm release. I think anybody that's played with you enough (plus OCRick) could tell you what your "bad" wedge swings look like. They look like kind of a weak, flat-footed pass at the ball. You don't seem like you're rotating your torso through the shot. I think you groove a nice compact, aggressive move with the wedges, and you're gonna really start getting better results.