My Road to Improvement - swing video 3/15/24

[bortass]

@Twin2L The video is with a 7i. I was rushed when I posted and left that detail out. I wanted the swings on video to be as natural as I could get. So after hitting some partial shots with the PW. I set up the camera for DTL, grabbed my 7i and videoed a shot. I hit a pull with that one. So I took a second shot which is what you see here. I then set up the face on view and took one full swing. So I wasn't hitting a bunch of full 7is before the video.

You bring up a good point about my posture. I didn't realized I slumped over that much. I've also lost some of my turn thanks to a serious amount of weight gain the last few years. I was never a get the club parallel to the ground kind of guy but I thought I got it back a bit more than i do in reality. Maybe if I lose some weight, it will help my swing some. Though losing weight will help a lot of things unrelated to golf, lol.

The video shows the flight when I say I hit a nice high draw. It's the flight pattern I am accustomed to seeing on my good shots years ago. Those will hold a green. the couple I have hit that landed on the green tend to release only a few feet. The greens are also soft since it's been wet, though I don't leave a massive pitch mark.

The range is sloped, so I don't bother looking at how far the ball goes. They have flags with distances but that's useless to me. I look at the flight and how contact sounded and felt. That 7i felt pretty good and I would guess it would have gone 130ish, but that's just a guess by me.

My distance 'woes' are because I mishit it more than not. A fat shot just won't go as far and a thin one will go long since the ball gets maybe 20 feet off the ground. It's more like throwing a football with the arc. So the ball comes in shallow hits the greens and rolls who know how far. My 'stock' 6i is 130 yards thanks to mishits of various types. If I catch it like I did the 7i in the DTL video, we're talking in the low to mid 140s. I've hit one of those shots 155 with the 6i but it's on the downhill par 3, so I probably gained 10 yards from height alone.

FWIW, I settled on the 130 6i because I kept missing short, as most people do. I think it was when I played the white tees and #2 is about 140 yard to center par 3. I'd come up short or near the front of the green. So I decided to set ego aside, though this is kinda dumb as you'll see in a bit, and use my 6i from 130. I'm hoping if I continue to hit more good shots to get a better picture of things. Arccos is mapping my shots and it's a mess. I don't have good gaps based on my mishits and punches/recover shots. Arccos has my 6i as 133 but my 4i is 132 and 5i is 130... 7i and 8i are both 115. 9i and PW are both 93, lol.

My 4i will be low because of mishits, so I can't rely on it to carry anything. Most recovery shots for me are with a 5, 6, or 7i, so that pulls those numbers down a bit. Now, I am trying to play averages but also trying to gap my clubs. I think i have hit my 6i the most thanks to the 2 par 3s. So I'm going with a 140 5i and a 120 7i, lol.

The ego side of the house is I remember my 'glory days'. My PW was my 120 club. The flip side is I remember when 140 was my 6i as well. So I'm anywheres from 10 - 30 yards shorter at the moment. It's all good though. My swing is starting to sort itself out and I have some actual metrics now to help me gauge how far I really hit it. The glory days were probably based on me hitting the shot pure a few times and thinking that was my yardage when it wasn't.

I will reevaluate as i start to miss long more. That's the one good thing that is starting to happen. I'm missing left, right, and long at times. So it's not 95% of my misses being short any longer.

[Chip Duffer]

Bortass, that 7 iron was a nice shot. I think the trajectory and flight look real good. Keeping a smooth tempo and just making good contact is the hardest part on the course. Sometimes the focus can change from making a good swing, to “I have to “hit” this XX far”. When that happens, a smooth swing and good contact becomes more iffy because we’re not relaxed and just hitting a shot.

I find when I pick the correct iron, all I have to do is strike it well. When I do that, the distance pretty much takes care of itself.

Keep up the good work and remember to have fun. Make it as simple as you can and enjoy the process. What a magical game it is!

[bortass]

@Twin2L Thanks for the vote of confidence. I agree with the 7i shot. The face on one was similar but was a fade. Nice and high. It's a thing of beauty to me. I am having a blast out there.

On the course, here is how I tend to operate:
Look at my shot - Do I have a clear shot or need to recover? What's my lie? How far away am I? Are there any distance altering factors like wind or elevation. Is there trouble that I need to account for?
Decide on the club - This is a function of the shot itself. Assuming I have a clear shot to a green, I decide on what club 'should' go far enough to hit the middle of the green.
Pull the club, do my preshot routine, and swing.
Profit???

I don't find myself actively thinking," I need to hit this ball 130 yards" after I pulled a club. I already did my analysis and I'm comfortable with it. I just try and swing. It's why I did the video the way I did. I just set up and swung the club without thinking about mechanics. I just try to swing the club when playing.

Once reason I don't feel pressure to hit the ball a certain distance is I try to avoid that if I can. My decent 18 hole round had examples of this. On 18, there is a wide stream to be carried and a large pond fronts the green. I am not at the point where I'm confident that I will get a ball airborne enough to carry something that isn't near me. So I laid up short of the stream and hit my third shot to the left of the green where there was no water to deal with except the stream. This strategy cost me at least one stroke but I took the water out of play. Going for the green with my approach would have meant that I needed to carry 140+ yards in the air. I can do it if I hit it real well but that's an outlier right now, lol.

[bortass]

Weather has not been good for golf lately. The range was closed when I went to it yesterday, so I just did some putting on one of the practice greens. Today is the first day this week with no rain I think. It was 48 and sunny, so I got a quick 9 in. Let's just say I should have gone to the range instead. There is casual water everywhere on the course. Bunkers have standing water in them as well.

 

The highlight of the round was #3. It's a par 5. I hit my 4w off the tee and it's a high push that goes 157 yards. I'm actually on a dry section of fairway, so I hit my 4w and it's the great mid height draw and it goes 199 yards. I am about 40 - 45 yards from center in two. I have a clear shot at the flag with no bunkers to carry. I hit a partial SW on the green about 15 feet short of the flag. Sink the putt for my first birdie on this hole.

 

I also managed a par on #6. Outside of that it wasn't good. I had three quads, one bogey, two doubles, and a triple. All aspects of my game struggled but in different ways. My irons cost me because I hit a number of pushes. My contact overall was much better though. Short game in the wet conditions left a lot to be desired hence the pushed hurting me more than they should have.

 

Overall, I'm glad I got to play. Just wish I had more to show for it, lol.

 

I'm curious about whether or not I should tee my 4w lower. I lose distance on it when I hit it high since there is less roll out. I don't have to carry much of anything off the tee here either. It's something for me to think about.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

 

[bortass]

I'm going to go a bit out of order since I played Saturday and hit the range Sunday. I don't want things to get lost after I post the round recount, which I am hoping someone out there kinda enjoys. I was not happy with my chipping Saturday.

 

Sunday, I sat down and watched the first few segments of Monte's using the bounce video, yet again. I went to the range and worked on his one arm drill. It's pretty simple, do the motion he prescribes with just your right hand on the club and hit a ball. It was amusing at first but I started to get it. His method of chipping comes out higher than I am used to. I eventually started to do it with two hands and it was much better than my normal crappy chip. I was just practicing making contact with range balls on the practice green. SO I wasn't working on aim or distance control. Just trying to ingrain the feels for the swing. I want to add this to my routine at the range, like I did with sand shots.

 

Speaking of sand shots, I didn't do any since the bunker was pretty wet. I did some partial wedges and full swings too. It was off mats though which sucks IMO. At the end, I found if I slowed down, or maybe smoothed out is a better term, my back swing, my shot result was much better. I also have to remember to shift weight left in the downswing better. I did try a few driver shots but they were ugly. It needs to stay in the bag..

 

So I played an unexpected 18 Saturday. I was invited to join a regular group of guys that plays every Saturday. I think there were 12 of them this week. It was a shotgun start because of a frost delay. So temps were in the high 30s/low40s when I teed off and were up in the mid 50s by the end of the round. There was also a pretty good wind, maybe 10mph. The course is still very wet. We started on #14 and I've played the back 9 once before. My putting distances are estimated since I didn't take to time to pace them off. I played the teal tees again.

 

14 - straight par 5 with a large pond on the right side near the green. I hit a high draw with my 4w that plugged 157 yards off the tee on the left side of the fairway. My ball plugged on landing. I'm not gonna play around with water, so I hit my 5i 139 yards down the fairway. I'm 150ish out, flag is forward and I have a shot to the green with no water carry. I hit my 4i and it's a low draw that makes it on the green. I'm about 42 feet to the left of the hole and two putt for par. A nice start to the round, I actually feel competent.

 

15 - Shorter par 4 with an elevated tee shot. Wind is coming towards us. I hit a high 4w down the left side and it lands in a very soft area just off the fairway on the left, a mighty 129 yards off the tee! LOL. I have 130ish or so and go with my 6i from the wet stuff. I hit a low pull, maybe a bit heavy but I can't remember, about 95 yards short and left of the green. I have to pitch over a bunker and the flag is in the back right. I use my PW and make good contact. I'm about 5 feet from the hole and two putt for a bogey. I'll take it.

 

16 - par 3 that's slightly uphill with a bunker fronting it on the right side. Flag is to the right behind the bunker. I hit a high push with my 6i and itjust clears the right side of the bunker but I'm looking at an uphill chip. The shot went 133 yards or so. I skull my GW through the green. I'm in the back rough and can use my putter but have a problem. My ball is resting against a pine cone on the slope. I can't remove it or my ball will move. So I try to use my putter to chip and have to hit the pine cone first. The ball goes all of 2 feet... I do it again and get on and two putt from a fair distance for a triple bogey, sigh.

 

Reality sets in.

 

17 - par 4 dog leg left, I nail my 4w on this hole 208 yards into the fairway on the left side. Slightly uphill to the green and 140ish, so I try my 5i. I hit another push and miss well right. I have to hit across the cart path to an elevated green. I use my PW to chip and leave it short of the green. I chip on using my putter and two putt for another triple bogey.

 

I have just lost all confidence, which hasn't been much, in my short game.

 

18 - par 5, slight dogleg right by the green. There is a stream to be carried and a pond fronting the green. The tee box is elevated and I hit a high shot with my 4w about 156 yards into the wet fairway. I'm not gonna try to carry the stream, so I hit my 6i. it's a nice midheight draw that goes 145 yards and I'm a good 20 yards short of the stream. Things are soggy and I decide to hit to the fairway area left of the green with my 4i. I don't want to try to carry the stream and pond to hit the green. I blade my shot into the stream.... I drop and hit my 6i, It's a low push this time and I watch it skip on the pond and sink... I was trying to go left of the green again and failed miserably. Take a drop and I am 60 yards from center and the flag is back towards the front. I blade it through the green. I chip with my GW and two putt for a nice even 10.

 

Yup, I suck. I thought I was in for a good day the way the first hole went. It has warmed up some by now and i'm able to ditch my jacket. It's just good to be out playing and the guys I'm with are all nice. So no real complaints, just some whining...

 

1 - straight par 4, I tee off with my 4w and hit my standard shot on this hole. It's a high push that I see land in a puddle in the right rough behind the little stand of trees. I am always over here. I need to figure out why I tend to be in this spot. I mean I know it's because I hit the ball to the right but it's pretty constant on this hole. The ball went 186 yards and is in the rough, having rolled out of the puddle. I have a gap between the trees and punch a 7i 97 yards into the right fairway. It's soft here but no casual water and even if there were I don't know where I would have found relief. I'm 100 yards or so out and go with 9i. I think i was fat and I hit a pull that goes 86 yards and misses short and left. I use my putter to chip and get the ball to about 7 feet. It's a two putt double bogey. Not great but it's better than the previous three holes.

 

2 - par 3, about 130ish. I hit my 6i and it's a high push fade. It lands on the cart path that is a good 15+ yards right of the green and I see it take a high bounce to the right. I am in some wet stuff and a good 20 yards from the edge of a slightly elevated green. I chip with my PW and it slides right under the ball and I advance it maybe 4 yards. I chip again and get on and two putt from about 20 feet out for another double bogey 5.

 

3 - par 5 dogleg right. I hit a low fade with my 4w around the dogleg. Not what I wanted but I'm in the fairway 169 yards off the tee. It's a little wet but nothing major. I'm on the right and prefer the approach from the left. I still feel good and hit my 4w. It's a solid shoot but it's a pull to the left. The ball went about 167 yards and I'm on top of a little knoll with a tree on it that is short and left of the green. I am about 49 yards from the pin. I have a good lie in the rough and hit a partial PW. The ball gets up in the air and lands on the green. It proceeds to roll out and stop about one foot from the cup on the high side... I have a tap in birdie. So I have birdied this hole two days in a row. This par 5 has become a favorite hole of mine thanks to the forward tees.

 

I am so happy with how #3 played out. For me it's proof that I can play decent golf and my scores are high because I have no consistency.

 

4 - short par 4. I hit a push fade with my 4w about 163 into the right rough. I'm 130ish out and it's 6i time! I catch it thin and it's another push but real low. I find my ball in the front right bunker. The green is sloped back right to front left. The pin is back right, so I'm thinking aiming right and let the break feed it towards the hole. I set up and hit my GW. I gave it a good swing and the ball pops out nice and high, but a touch right. I end up in the right fringe. I use my putter to get on the green and I one putt for a bogey. I should have just aimed at the flag with my bunker shot.

 

I'm feeling good about my game again. The last few holes are not great but no blow ups and I have that sweet birdie to keep my spirits up.

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right and a hole that I struggle with. I top my 4w 83 yards into the fairway. I left I nice little ball impression in front of my tee.. I figure I'll hit a 5i to try and get in position. Nothing too fancy. I hit another push though and end up on the right slope on a flat spot. My shot went 108 since it was another mishit. I am on a flat spot and the path to the green has some small trees with a stream behind them. I go with my 6i. The plan is to just get the ball in the fairway by aiming left of the trees. I hit a solid push at the trees that I hear hit some small branches.. It wasn't solid contact with the trees though. I find the ball in the fairway about 127 yards from my previous spot. I'm in 6i range to the green and it's soft. I chunk my shot a solid 33 yards... I have 90 yards or so and mishit my PW right of the green. I get on with my putter and two putt from around 11 feet for a triple bogey.

 

6- par 4 with a slight dogleg left. I top my 4w 89 yards into the fairway. I am a long ways out and no real trouble, so I go with my 4w again. I top it 82 yards, lol. I'm 120ish out in the fairway and the green is elevated a little. I am torn on club to hit and go with a 6i that may be too much. I hit a high push fade over the back right of the green, about 130 yards. I use my PW to chip and do okay this time. I'm about 11 feet from the cup and two putt for another double bogey. My mishit 4w shots really hurt.

 

7 - par 4, dog leg right and elevated tee. Screw it, it's driver time! I set up and take my swing. I make contact with the ball and it goes 3 - 4 yards... The tee is smashed straight down into the ground, like I push it all the way in, and there is a ball impact mark in front of my tee. I must have been super steep. The ball just made it past the front of the tee box and it in long rough on a down slope. I comment on 'that's why i don't hit driver' as i walk back to the cart to get a iron to hit a partial shot out of the rough. I think i used my 7i and I punched the ball about 100 yards or so into the right rough. I am a long ways out with no shot at the green that I dare take. I lay up with my 6i and I smoke a low draw 162 yards into the fairway. I'm 60 - 70 out now and hit my PW. I think I caught it thin but can't recall. Anyhow, it goes 80 yards and long. i can use my putter to chip and do so. I get on the green and sink a 6 foot putt for another double bogey.

 

I can't complain about getting a 6 on this hole. It's my fault for being dumb and using driver. It took me two shots to got 107 yards off the tee... So i am actually happy that i pulled out the double.

 

8 - par 3, downhill. I always hit 6i here and do so again. The flag is near the middle and I hit the ball. It's nice and high but a little right of the green. It starts to curve left, lands on the green and rolls towards the flag. I hit it 142 yards and I am pin high, 7 feet from the cup. I look at my putt and hit it. It's tracking true and stops two feet short. Sigh. I sink the next for par though.

 

9 - par 4 that has the pond I mention for #18 guarding the front left. I hit a nice push slice with my 4w 170 yards into the right rough on #1. I seem to be over here a lot too on this hole. I have to keep the ball low to get under mature pines and into my fairway. It's soft, which is the case for almost every shot this round. I blade it 58 yards bit I'm in the fairway. I don't feel like trying to get another club since the guy driving the cart has moved forward. So I'm 80 yards from center roughly and use my 7i. I hit a partial shot that carries the corner of the pond and it goes 100 yards and it long. I am able to use my putter to get on the green and sink a 6 foot putt for bogey.

 

10 - par 4, dogleg left. the tees are elevated, as is the green. So picture the hole as a U as far as how the elevations work. I crack a great draw down the left side 206 yards into the left rough. The flag is on the right side and there is a large bunker in the hill on the right front. Any ball in there is a blind shot to an elevated green. Homey don't play that.... So I am 120ish from center going uphill. i decide on my 6i and aim to the left side of the green. It's a slight push that carries the left corner of the bunker and it disappears from view. So I am either on or near the green. My shot went 122 yards and I'm in the fringe on the back right of the green. I use my putter to chip and get it to two feet and I secure a one putt par.

 

11 - par 4 , dogleg left with a stream carry. I hit my 4w and it's a high draw. Very solid shot that carries the FW bunker that guards the right corner of the dogleg. I hit through the FW....oops. I find my ball 186 yards off the tee in the right rough. I'm 90 or so yards from center and the green is below me with a stream to carry. I go with a full PW and blade it over the green, 111 yards. I'm behind the green in the rough and have to chip up to the back of the green that is above me and will slope away from me towards the stream. I make okay contact with my GW and my chip goes 28 yards and stops 12 feet short. So I two putt for bogey.

 

12 - par 4 dogleg left. I hit a solid push with my 4w into the right rough. 140-50 out and the green is elevated. I go with 4i and hit a low pull about 95 yards into the rough on a slope that's on the left side of this hole. The ball is below my feet in the rough and I go with my PW. I hit it about 38 yards and I'm 14 feet about the flag. I two putt for a bogey.

 

13 - par 3, uphill about 120ish, so I use my 6i to account to elevation. I chunk my tee shot 81 yards into the fairway. I hit my PW on the green and it's gets to near the top of the tier on the green and rolls back. So I'm on the lower tier and the flag is on the upper tier. I'm about 13 feet away and two putt for a bogey.

 

I total things up and I shot a 99. I broke 100! Despite the three triples and a 10 on #18. I had 31 putts for the round. I'm not sure why my putting was back. I actually was a decent putter before I quit. I know it's hard to believe with what I have been documenting in this thread. It was the best part of my game. Everything else was all over the map. My chipping bit. I walked away with no confidence hence my actual focus on it the following day.

 

[bortass]

Quick question about this threads format. Do you like the hole by hole synopsis or would you just prefer a quick summary?

 

The original threads I did ages ago used hole by hole and people liked it but it was 8 - 12 years ago. Not sure if the wall of text I create is a turnoff or not these days.

 

My new short term goal is to break 95 from the forward teal tees. So I'd be looking at shooting around a 47 for 9. I know it's an odd number but baby steps. I will be reverting my goals back to the whites once I have my game a bit more sorted out. At least that's how I did it when I tried to break 100, did it on the senior tees first and then went back to the whites.

 

I have started to reread Floyd's Elements of Scoring. It was recommended when I asked about good course management books. I had picked up many years ago and had read it but forgot I had it.

 

The weather is looking bad for the rest of this week, so I'm not sure if I'll be getting out to play or hit the range.

 

As always, I appreciated any questions, comments, or criticisms. Having others suggest or point things out gives me things to consider. I 'think' I know what I'm doing based on my past experience but that also means I may be missing things. Maybe it will be a reality check for me, I've had that happen before.

 

Regardless, have a good one!

[Chip Duffer]

Howdy bortass. I agree that’s you should try teeing you’re 4w lower. When using my 3 off the tee, I just get mine very slightly above the grass.

As for scoring right now with so much water in the south, rather than focusing as much right now on that I find it’s more beneficial to focus on ball striking. All elements, with the possible exception of the tee box are far more challenging right now. Approach shots are longer due to less or no roll out at all, chips around the green typically call for exceptional contact due to the soggy soft turf and greens are not reacting as they will when they firm up.

I agree with the comment about the slower or smoother backswing resulting in a much better shot result.

Congrats on the improved putting. That’s is a real confidence builder. When I trust the putter, there is much less pressure on the approach and chipping parts of the game and they can just flow without added internal pressure to get it close.

As for the format, if it serves you to put it down stroke by stroke, then by all means continue to do so. For those of us who read this thread, we may find our commonality in the thought processes and in the challenges that each shot presents.

FWIW, I played a very wet course Sunday and stunk it up. Unacceptably high score, left too many putts on the edge and even had three 3 putts. However, during the round my mid and long iron game were very solid. Short irons and wedges were inconsistent, ranging from h e l l yeah, to oh h e l l. Average day off the box. Bottom line, took the putter experiment out of the bag, hit some shots that remind me why I play this glorious game and why I want to go back.

[bortass]

I tee my 4w so at least half the ball is above the crown. It may be a bit more. A number of my 4w shots remind me of an iron. The ball gets high and then drops. My driver ball flight behaves that way at times too. I'll have to play around with the 4w because I think I get better distance if I hit a lower shot. Though the ball isn't going to roll much.

The current conditions are interesting and I know they impact things. It's just something I can't quantify since I don't have a baseline. I don't want to set false expectations that I'll suddenly gain distance as it warms up and dries out. In theory my irons should be longer just from it not being in the high 40s and low 50s.

So scoring may not be optimal but I am gaining confidence. The forward tee box is helping since I'm averaging 180 yards off the tee. My irons are getting better. I am seeing more solid shots and fewer mishits. I'll need to sort out my push with irons. I'm not sure what to make of my putting. My last round was more of what I would expect, I just don't know why. Chipping has always been a weak spot for me. I have many years of memories of needing multiple chips to get on the green because I'd dub it or blade it. I got decent for a period of time but it was never enough to build my confidence. So chipping has got to be a priority for me to work on. I am hopefull it will be like my sand game. I went from having no confidence to being comfortable in the bunker in pretty short order.
@Twin2L I agree about the shots that make you want to play again. The whole 'I did it once, so I can do it again' mentality. Bottom line is to have fun out there. Golf is never gonna pay the bills, lol.

[bortass]

Played 18 yesterday. There was a frost delay but it was almost 60 when I finished my round. I walked this time. It was sunny and no real wind and things are still pretty wet.

 

Shot 98, 47/51, from the teal tees. 4 pars, 6 bogeys, 5 doubles, and 3 triple+ which included a 9. Some key stats I hit 71% of my fairways with the 4w and had 5 GIRs. My chipping was bad again. So I will be focusing on that still. I expect my scores to drop once I get that under control. It's a new low score for me though since returning to the game.

 

A couple key things, I hit a green with my 4w. I also used my 7w on a couple approaches and hit one and went long on the other. I felt like I was over clubbing with the one that went long. The 7w gets nice and high and drops, it only rolled out 6 - 8 feet from it's pitch mark on the green I hit. So I think I am going to start using it more. It's probably a replacement for my 4i which I seem to struggle with. I mishit that thing a lot it seems.

 

My predominate ball flight is a fade at the moment. There are some exceptions but that's what I am hitting the most, so misses tend to be to the right. I still have mishits but they are fewer which is good.

 

I hope to hit the range sometime this week to work on my short game. Hopefully the weather co-operates.

[bortass]

I did something to my right knee when I played last Saturday. They were getting sore by the end of the round. I dealt with patela tendonitis in both of them a few years ago from volleyball but I haven't played in over 18 months. This is in a different spot but I assume it's a tendon or ligament as in the past. Kinda annoying, it hurts when I walk and stairs were real fun for a few days. I didn't have this problem when I walked 18 at the start of February. My wife says it's old age... It could be partly from not playing the prior two weeks. I rode the week I shot the 99 and the weather has been bad, so no 9 hole rounds. I prefer to walk since it's cheaper, better exercise, and I enjoy it.

 

It's feeling a little better today but I didn't try to play 9 because of it. I have a friend coming up to golf this weekend and want to make sure I can move. We'll be riding, expect to play 18 Saturday and either 9 or 18 Sunday. It'll be fun.

 

I did go to the range today though. I think I chipped a good 50 - 60 balls. It's a real mixed bag. I still blade a high percentage of them. I did do the one handed chipping drill a bit at times. I will need to watch Monte's video some more. I have no confidence in my chipping. I'd rather be in a bunker because I don't blade those and haven't left one in the bunker in quite a while. I can't believe that I find a sand shot to be easier, lol. It will come around as I work on it though. I do have confidence in that.

 

I hit some partial wedges again after chipping. It is going well. I'm still stuck hitting off a mat. I did hit a few 7i shots but took it easy with my right knee issue. Really hoping that was because of something I did walking, like sliding in mud, and not from my swing. I will need to work out my 'fade issue' at some point too.

 

I do want to mention that I am growing confidence with a wood from the fairway the last few rounds. I don't know what it is about my 7w but I almost always hit it well. It gets a great high ball flight that will hold a green and the shot itself is almost all carry. My 4w off the deck is pretty good too but tends to be a lower shot that will run. I'm not losing them into trouble though which is the big thing. I do want to mention that I still play defensively with them. If I think there's risk of hitting the ball into the junk, I won't use a wood. I'll just hit something shorter that should stay online.

 

I almost wish I had a 3w, 5w, 7w setup based on recent results. I used to use a 3w and 5w and they are in my garage. The 7w was specifically bought to deal with one hole on my old course. A par three with a pond carry. I got the 4w to close the gap between the 3 and 7. I was also able to hit my driver at the time. My 3 and 5 are MacGregor's from probably 2006 or 8. My 4 and 7 are Callaway Diablos that I got around 2011 I think. I'm not a club ho that's looking or wants anything new. I hit the Diablo's well and if I was able to find a 3 and 5 that match then maybe I'd pull the trigger on it. Otherwise my option is to try the 3 and 5 I have gathering dust. I'm probably overthinking and being anal about it, lol. I just know the head and shaft combination in the Callaways works well and i can't recall how I fared with my older 3 and 5.

 

Lastly, I have started again Floyd's Elements of Scoring. I'm only a few chapter in but it makes sense. I think the book will help me in the long run since it's about maximizing your scoring based on your game.

 

Have a good one.

[PhlashPhace]

Good work. Keep it going.

[bortass]

@PhlashPhace Thanks, I appreciate it.

50s and sunny today. I was able to hit the range again. I watched a couple of the segments in Using the Bounce before I headed out. I'm just trying to ingrain this however I can. I saw something that I wasn't doing as well as I could, getting my right shoulder forward during the swing. So with those happy thoughts I wandered to the range.

I only brought my 7i, PW, and SW today. I chipped another 50 or so balls to start things off. It was better than yesterday. I discovered a couple of minor changes that helped. Namely taking the club back the same way I do in my full swing. I had been taking the club straight back and found I was getting a fair number of toe shots. Once I went back to my normal takeaway, it cleared up. It's still not good overall but it's getting better. Progress is all I ask for and I seem to be making some. For the record, I'm just using range balls and trying to make contact. I'm not working on distance control or trying to hit a target. I'll switch to that mode once I feel like I have basic contact down at an acceptable level.

I went to the range and did my normal warm up of pitches and half wedges with my PW. The results were okay. Contact sounded good but my ball flight wasn't what I wanted in some cases. I also hit some full 7i shots and had the fade again. Something I had noticed is I think I have been playing with my club face slightly open. I closed it just a small amount and my ball flight improved. I did the same with my wedge shots and they started to improve as well. I just tried to work on a nice easy swing and it went well. I'm kinda on hold with doing much focus on my full swing until my short game gets better. So my range toime is really just about solid contact and ball flight versus actively working on X.

At the end of the session, for fun, I started to hit punches to work the ball left and right. I used to work on those shots since I was behind trees a lot in Maine. I'm not in that situation as much here but I used to hit a lot of recovery shots. So I like to hit them on the range in small doses. It's also kinda fun to hit a low push hook when you mean to versus doing with a full swing by mistake, lol. Pelz's book Damage Control talks about recovery shots and how to hit them. I found it a very interesting read many years ago and I'm sure I'll look at it again in the future.

[bortass]

I took the afternoon off and played 9. It was partly sunny, in the 50s, and winds were about 15 mph. I had to tighten my cap or fear losing it! lol. The course is starting to dry out but it's still soft in a lot of places. I am staying with the teal tees.

 

1 - straight par 4 and the wind is coming from my front right to back left, the flag is mid left. I hit a nice draw with my 4w 176 yards into the center of fairway. I'm shocked since I almost always fade it behind a stand of trees that borders the cartpath that runs between 1 and 9. I am pretty close to the 200 yard marker, so I'm not reaching this green in two. I hit my 4w 176 yards short of the green on the left side. I take relief from a large drain cover that i would of had to stand on. I'm below the green and it's elevated by 5 or 6 feet. I take my PW to chip and hit it too soft. The ball lands near the top of the slope and rolls back at me. So the ball ended up about 1 foot in front and 3 feet right of where it started... I try again and catch it real thin but the pin is back and I'm 8 feet past it. I manage a two putt 6 after sending my first putt a good 3 - 4 feet past the hole.

 

2 - par 3 that's 125 - 130ish and the flag is on the back right. I close my 6i just a hair and it's a high baby draw that misses right. My aim was off, the shot itself was pretty straight. The ball went about 139 yards and I'm right of the green and it's a bit soft. I'm also a good 6 feet below the green. I can't see the hole at all. I chip with my GW and blade that puppy. I'm on the green, barely, all the way on the left side. I have a 50 foot putt that breaks left to right. My line wa sokay but speed was off, so I'm almost hole high but 4+ feet short. I manage to two putt from there for a double bogey 5.

 

3 - par 5, dog leg right. The wind is behind me and the flag is on the front left. I hit a high draw around 162 into the fairway on the left. It's just a little soft and I'm 240ish out. I go with my 4w again and top it about 35 yards or so. My swing felt quick. I take another whack at it with better tempo and it's a low draw that goes 187 yards into the right front bunker. The ball landed in the bunker and rolled backwards a couple yards, so I carried it 190, lol. I'm past the hole because of the design of the green. I take my SW and I hit it out to about 7 feet above the hole. I have a downhill putt that i put 3 - 4 feet past the hole, sigh. My come back putt tickles the right edge of the cup and follows the curve but stays out and stops a few inches behind the hole. So a tap in 3 putt double bogey 7.

 

A trend is forming with my scores and it's my shortgame that's to blame so far.

 

4 - shorter par 4. I tee off with my 4w and it a pull hook into the trees and stream on the left. No idea where this came from. I'm 113 yards off the tee and take my drop. I'm a long ways out and hit my 4w. I'm fat, as is my shot, and it goes a mighty 110 yards never getting more than a couple feet off the ground. So I'm now in the fairway about 75 - 80 yards or so from center. I hit my GW and it's a bit thin but a low draw that stops in the back fringe, about 88 yards. I decide to use my putter to chip and the green slopes away from me. There's this pebble i notice and think nothing of on the green. I ta the ball to let it feed down to the hole and it's tracking nicely when it hits the pebble, pops a couple inches up in the air, lands and keeps rolling. I lost too much speed and I'm 5 feet short of the flag. I manage a two putt for a triple bogey 7. My first blowup hole of the round.

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right that always gives me fits. The flag is back right on the upper tier. I hit a nice draw with my 4w 177 yards into the right rough near the cart path. i haven't cleared the corner and am at least 240+ out but no straight shot. the 4w is out of the question. I go to my bag and grab my 4i. I walk towards my ball and think about my 7w. I hit it better than the 4i, so I go back and change clubs. I catch it a little thin but it's a low fade that has a penetrating flight and it goes 169 yards and I'm in the FW. I am 90ish yards from center with a back flag. The wind is in my face and I hit an 8i. It's a mid height draw and I'm in the back fringe, the shot went about 100 yards. I'm left of the flag and behind it. The tier starts about 3 feet past the flag. I aim high and hit my chip with the putter. I have good speed but it breaks about 3 feet before the flag and the ball starts slowing down. Things are looking good and it barely reaches the edge of the tier and rolls 27 feet below the hole.... Sigh. I manage a two putt 6 though and I'm happy. This hole tends to kill me and I'll take a bogey any day and run.

 

6 - par 4, slight dogleg left. The pin is mid rightish. I hit a draw over the edge of the left fairway bunker and it clears the ridge in the air. I find my ball in the left rough 183 yards off the tee. I'm 120ish out and go with 7i. The ball is above my feet and I have a slight uhill lie as well because I'm angles up the slope. I don't take the slope into account and it's fat city. The ball goes about 56 yards but I'm in the fairway and about 50 yards out. I hit a half SW and it's a draw that gets me on the green about 20 feet left of the hole. The ball only released a few yards after impact. The break is left to right and I'm going at an angle downhill just a tough. I hit my putt and it's pin high a foot short of the cup. So I sink the next one for a bogey 5.

 

My scores are not great but I am pleased with my ballstriking over all. Still have mishits but they are not as often and the results are better. I also am writing off the pull hook tee shot since I have no idea where that came from. I tend to miss right off the tee.

 

7 - par 4 with an elevated tee, slight dogleg right. The flag is near the middle of the green. There is a threesome in front of me now and they don't know what ready golf is. Two of them are standing by their balls while the third is up in the right tree line looking for theirs. So tree line person finally hits, the person also standing next to treeline gals bag hits and finally the guy way on the left hits. I found it kinda amusing since I'm used to ready golf. They clear the area and I setup with my 4w. I feel like I'm aimed too far left and swing. It's a high draw, dead left as I was aimed and it goes 181 yards into the left rough. Sigh... I am 200ish out because I made the hole longer. I hit my 4w and it's fat. the ball goes about 108 yards and stops in the fairway. It's wet here and no place to escape casual water. I'm 60ish out and go with a partial GW. I swing and hit the ball and get a bunch of mud, water, and grass to the face.It's a nice little draw that carries the bunkers that guard the left side and i'm on the green. I'm 17 feet from the hole with another left to right break. I hit my putt and it stops pin high, between 12 and 18 inches short. So I sink the next one for another bogey.

 

8 - par 3, about 130ish and the flag is back. the threesome is looking for their balls and wave me up. I proceed to blade my 6i 137 yards into the left rough. It stopped about a yard short of the bushes that are on the left. I punch a 9i chip on the green. I'm 50 feet below the hole and my putt misses low by a few inches and stops 4 feet past the hole. I two putt from there for a 5.... Gotta love the 'pressure' of playing through. I thank them and head for 9.

 

9 - straight par 4 with the pond guarding the front left of the green. I hit a nice high slice with my 4w, 157 yards into the wind. I don't know what the deal is with this hole, I am almost always way right on it. I'm in the middle of the first fairway and punch a 7i. it's a mistake as I carry it through the pine trees and into the pond. Blah. I drop and have about 90 yards to go and have to skirt the edge of the pond. I take my PW and mishit it, nice and fat, and it goes about 40 yards. I hit a partial shot with it on and two putt from 6 feet for a triple bogey 7.

 

So it's a 53. Not great but I am happy with my overall ball striking. There were a few gaffes but not as many. Also things are still real soft and i think that lead to some fat shots. Short game was not good and my putting was off.

 

I think pace of play has a factor with the putting. The last two Saturdays I played 18 in a foursome. Those rounds took 4 and 4.5 hours respectively. My 9 today took about 90 minutes and I had to wait on some shots on #7. I think I have more time to just pick up the break and get a feel for my putts while waiting for the other three guys. I don't know what else it could be unless it's the fact they may have finally mowed the greens. I am very used to hitting my ball, finding it and hitting it again. So I wonder is I am just going too fast when i putt even if I don't feel rushed.

 

I also need to figure out #9. Something about this hole makes me send the ball way more right than I normally do elsewhere.

 

Planning on another 18 tomorrow and either 9 or 18 Sunday. I doubt I'll post anything until next week.

 

Have a good weekend

[Chip Duffer]

Soft can create added pressure on ball striking. Especially on touch shots. Keep at it, it looks like you are finding your way. The journey is a bit different for each of us, even though we’re Looking for a similar result.

[bortass]

This post is probably going to read strangely.

 

The most important thing to say is I had fun playing 27 holes this weekend. The sun was out both days and between 50 and 65 depending on time of day. The winds were high Saturday, 20 MPH with gusts to 30 but not Sunday. I want to end on a positive note, so I'll leave the good stuff for the end.

 

My scores sucked hard. Saturday was a 51/57 - 108 and Sunday(played the back 9) was a smooth 60... Saturday I had 5 holes that were either +3 or +4, including on a par 3. Sunday I had 4 holes that were between +3 and +5. I did not play stupid, I just failed miserably at execution on different parts of my game on different holes. The one constant is putting was MIA again.

 

A couple examples from yesterday's 9. 16 is a par 3, a little uphill and is about 130 or so to center. I hit my 6i and it is a high draw. Beautiful shot that carries the green entirely and lands in the trap behind the green. The shot itself was 144. So I'm in a bunker and the green is below me and slopes away from me. I hit my sand shot too soft and stay in the bunker. Second shot is a repeat. 3 shot, I use a chipping motion since I'm near the front lip no and I blow my ball 50 feet past the hole. A three putt ensues.

17 is a par 4 dogleg right. I pull hook my 4w OoB of the tee. I mishit the next one but get into the fairway, about 130 off the tee. I'm over 240 out, laying 3. I hit 4w to close the distance and it's a solid low draw that goes straight i.e. not much curve on the overall shot, but I think my aim is off and i send over the bunkers on the right side of the fairway into the trees. I'm laying 5, after my drop, and not on the green with 3 penalty strokes, I get on and three putt again.

 

Now about the positives. My irons are coming along more. I am getting the high shots more often. I still seem to miss right the most. I did have a number of bad shots, don't get me wrong, but I'm seeing the better ball flight more often than not. The 144 yard 6i on the #16 is an example of what I mean. I sailed the green with a very good shot. Other holes I'd get a nice and high ball flight and the ball would land a couple yards to the right of the green. So I feel like I'm starting to take the right clubs more often and I'm hitting the ball to at reach the green more often. Hopefully that makes sense. I have no fears of holding a green with these iron shots because they are so high and just drop in.

 

Arccos has bumped my 6i up to 137 average. It's the iron I use the most it seems since the forward tees have me in the 130 range. Hopefully I can eventually get better numbers on my other clubs. I tend to hit punches with the rest of them, like my 7i and I think that's messing things up a bit. But I also don't have a lot of solid hits with other irons for it to use either.

 

My 7w is a pretty high percentage club for me. I had to use it off the tee on #11 both days because of the hole layout with the forward tees. I also used it off the deck with very good results.

 

So a rough weekend but it was fun and I still saw positive things even if I fell apart.

[bortass]

I forgot to mention that I actually did hit a chip correctly this weekend. That sounds so bad as I write it but I was happy with the solid contact and ball flight that I seem to get using this technique. I don't recall how close I got it and I think it was a blind chip, regardless it's progress.

 

My question is do any of you have a hole where things just don't seem right?

 

I'm at a loss with #9. It's a straight hole with a pond fronting the green and running down the left side of the fairway starting maybe 200 yards off the forward tee. I almost always hit a push or a push slice off this tee box. The slices are pretty big at times to. I do tend to miss right more than left at the moment but we're talking being in the rough. Maybe it's because most holes on the front are doglegs right. Regardless the miss seems bigger on #9 and more often. I've hit this fairway two times. I think I have only hit one draw off the tee. I am almost always playing from #1 off the tee. It's a pattern that I can't seem to shake. My only thought is to aim left more or maybe use my 7w off the tee.

[ChaosTheory]

That's very common. People get worried about an OB, pond, whatever, and hit a BIG miss the other direction. It's not conscious though. I've seen the same playing partners do this same thing over and over for years. Usually followed by a swear word and "why do I always do THAT?!" There is no law saying you have to hit a driver there. Play short of the pond, build up some confidence at that tee.

Confidence breeds more of the same. Hit the clubs you feel best about. Even if you hit three 6 irons on a par 4 instead of driver, etc.

[bortass]

@Snowman9000 It must be in my head as you say. I have never put a ball in the pond off the tee. I am teeing off with my 4w since I am playing the shorter tees. I have hit one tee shot 'near' the pond and it was a 183 draw that went down the left side. I was in the fairway, not the rough, and I don't feel like I was close to going in the water. I guess if I really hit one very solid and left I could manage it.

The stupid thing is that I have put a number of balls in the pond with my second shot. Being far right, I have no real shot at the green because of trees. So I'll hit a punch back to the fairway and sometimes i mess up my distance and put it in the drink, lol. Guess I need to start aiming left off the tee or something.

[dlow206]

There is a hole (hole 10) on my home course that I find a way to always have a blow-up on. It's a par 4, about 350 yards, and the main hazard is a small creek size water hazard. That hazard has never been the problem. What happens to me every time is I hit my second (or somethings third) shot into this area of short bushes that is only about 10 yards farther than the green. It's usually not even a terrible shot, but I can never find the ball. From there, various meltdowns continue to occur on subsequent shots.

[bortass]

4 days of rain finally ended. I was able to make it to the range and it was wedges only. That was fine with me since I hit them the most on the range anyhow.

 

I hit about 35 chips at the start. I'm seeing improvement in that I am not hitting it thin as much. They are still happening but I seem to be making some progress. Hopefully I can get it sorted out enough in the next month to feel okay about chipping. I did one one hand swings as well and they were pretty good overall.

 

Range itself was limited to wedges, so I just hit a PW. I think I only hit a handful of full shots. Everything was a half swing or less. I included some lower shots as well, think they are called knockdowns but I'm not sure. Anyhow those went well. My partial and full shots did as well. I'm mostly getting the feel of smooth tempo, etc. I assume it's working since my irons have been getting better the last few rounds.

 

I am not positive but I think my ball position is leading to my fades. I was fat alot when I started playing again, so I moved my ball forward some. Based on the 'new ball flight laws' that could cause the ball to go right. I moved it back a little and things seemed to straighten out some. I'll try to remember to keep it in mind on the course.

 

Tomorrow I'm playing 18 at a course I've never been to. It'll be interesting to see how the course is and how my game fairs. The white tees there are roughly the same as the teal tees I've been playing with regard to slope and distance. So difficulty should be the same but I have no idea how to play any of the holes, lol. It'll be fun though.

[Chip Duffer]

Enjoy your round on the new course. What a great way to spend the day.

[bortass]

@Twin2L Thanks, it was fun and a challenge. It started cold, in the 30s but ended in the mid 60s. I played very poorly but still enjoyed myself.

Not knowing the course didn't really hurt me IMO. The guy I was riding with let me know about trouble spots and where to try to aim for off the tee on the relevant holes. We played the white tees, which are the forward 'mens' tees. So gold , blue, and black are longer.

There was the weirdest par 5 I have ever seen. I hit my 4w 185 yards into the fairway and I'm trying to find the green. I see a green to my right at a 45 degree angle about 110 yards away and I see fairway that angles to my left going up a hill. I ask where the green is and it's the one to the right! I mishit my 7i and I'm on the green in two. Of course I three putt for a 5 but still... Coming back on 18, I see a blue tee for that par 5 and it has a pond carry. So Blue , Gold, and black look like a true par 5 with a forced pond carry of at least 100 yards right off the tee boxes. Looking at the card the hole is 450 from the blues and 307 from the whites.....

I shot a nice even 112, 61/51. I'll start with what went well and finish with what didn't.

Best hole of the day was #13 - par 3, a bit downhill and it was about 120ish to center. I tee off with my 7i and it's a high draw that lands near the flag. I can't tell how close I am from the tee. We get to the green and I'm about 2 feet right and short of the hole. My ball spun back about 6 inches from it's pitch mark. I make my birdie putt and I fell like a 'true golfer' for one fleeting hole.

I hit 10/14 fairways though one shouldn't count as skill since I hit a pull hook that hit a tree and it kicked right, into the fairway. I went long on a couple greens as well.

Short game was death. I started +8 after 2...#1 par 5, I'm over the green in 4, my tee shot was weak, and it takes 4 shots to get down. #2, par 3 and I'm over it off the tee. It takes 6 shots to hole out... I was blading all my chips and couldn't get a feel for the greens.

Off the tee, I hit some pulls which is a bit rare for me but is becoming a new trend I think and I am still missing irons right.

I played 9 yesterday and will post that one separately.

[bortass]

As I mentioned previously, I played 9 yesterday. Front 9, teal tees. Sun was out and no real wind at ground level. It was in the low to mid 60s and quite nice out.

 

#1 par 4, pretty straight hole. I a low draw with my 4w, down the right side 172 yards. I'm in the fairway and just over 200 yards out. I wait for the green to clear even though it's extremely unlikely that I'd roll a ball on from that range. I hit my 4w thin and it's a low pull that goes 147 yards into the left rough. I'm about 60 from center and the flag is on the right side of the green, so I have to carry the right greenside bunker. I decide to hit a half GW. This half shot is the one I use quite a bit on the range when I say I'm hitting a partial wedge. I swing til arms are at 3 o'clock. I hit a nice high shot 73 yards over the green. I think I need to use my SW for this distance in the future. I use my putter to chip and the green is sloping away from me. I think it's gonna be fast and I leave the ball a good 11 feet short of the hole. I blow the next one a few feet past and come away with a 6. Not a great start but at least it's a double bogey and not an 'other' aka 3+ blowup.

 

#2 - par 3, about 130. I have been hitting 6i here . My average 6i has gone up from 130 to 137-139ish but I stay with it. I'm nice and fat, my swing felt quick, and it goes a nice 66 yards to the right side of the hole which is first cut rough, so not too bad. I'm 70ish to center and the flag and hit a half GW 66 yards and on the green. I'm about 30 feet from the hole and pull a nice 3 putt out of my rear end for another double bogey. Not the start i want but after yesterday, I am okay with this.

 

3# - par 3, dog leg right. I hit a pull with my 4w 154 yards into the soft stuff that is the left rough. I just made this hole longer and i'm not getting near the green in two this time. I hit my 4w, thin, and it's another pull towards the left bushes. The ball went 156 yards and is in the left rough. I didn't go into the bushes.. I'm about 100 yards from center and hit my 9i. I hit a push into the right front bunker. Pretty sure I bladed the ball too but maybe that was another hole. I know I bladed a shot into a bunker someplace. Anyways I'm in the sand and happy. I would rather be in a bunker versus having a greenside chip.... How sad is that state of affairs? I set up in the bunker and hit my GW out but I'm about 17 feet short of the cup. I either need to learn to swing harder or start using my PW for the longer shots. I two putt for a bogey 6. So that's better at least. i didn't make the hole easier with any of my shots and a bogey is not bad for me at this stage of my game.

 

#4 - shorter par 4. I hit a pull with my 4w, 151 yards into the left bushes. I find my ball about 4 feet in the crap. The pulls are becoming more and more of a trend. So I fish it out with my 4i and take an unplayable. I'm about 140ish out and go with my 5i. I mishit it and it's a high push that goes a mighty 113 yards. I'm just short of the right, front greenside bunker. I have to chip/pitch over it to get on the green. I try to focus on the shot and use my GW. I chip it over the bunker and it goes about 20 yards total but I'm about 10 feet short of the flag. I am so happy with this chip. I actually made good contact and the ball did what it's supposed to for a change. I two putt for a double bogey 6. Not the end of the world since i have a penalty stroke for my drop.

 

#5 par 5, dogleg right and a nemesis hole for me. So I have been hitting pulls as my miss and there is brush marked as a hazard all down the left side off the tee. So i setup more in the middle of the tee box and aim a touch right. I hit a low draw about 163 yards into the middle of the fairway. Great spot but it's all casual water. I have to move my ball to the right side of the fairway to get relief, so my angles are not as good now. I hit my 7w and it's very solid and high. It clips a small branch on the right side of the hole, near the stream that runs by that section of the hole and makes it through 148 yards into the fairway on the right. I'm about 120ish out from center. I'm on the right and the center of the green is to the left. I mention this because of the number with what happens next. I hit my 7i and it's another push that clips a branch on the right and it drops near the right side of the green. the shot went 95 yards and i'm actually about pin high. The flag is back right on the upper tier.. I'm a good 6 yards from the edge of the green. I chip with my GW and blade it into a bunker guarding the left side of the green... I hit it out of the bunker to about 8 feet and two putt for another double bogey. My short game is horrid and I have no faith at all.

 

#6 - par 4 with a slight curve left. I hit a nice draw 170 into the fairway. I'm about 120ish out and hit my 7i. It's a decent shot, that's slightly mishit, and goes 113 yards and on the green. I'm about 20 feet right of the flag. I hit my putt a good four feet past the hole. My next one catches the inside edge of the lip, goes to the back of the cup and stays out...so a 3 putt bogey for my GIR.

 

#7 - par 4 downhill. I nuke my 4w with a great draw and I see it bounce when it lands, so i missed all the wet stuff. 226 yards off the tee and i have 120ish to go. 7i again and I mishit it and it's another push well right of the hole. I blade my GW through the green and almost to the cart path. I chip again, and make the right contact, but leave it short of the green. I chip with my putter and the ball goes 11 feet past the hole. this green is a bit faster than the previous ones for some reason. So another nice two putt for a triple bogey.

 

#8 par 3, downhill. Forward flag and normally I hit 6i here. I go with my 7i and it's another high push into the long grass on the right. I'm about to quit looking when one of the people with me finds it. i'm in very long rough on a downslope. I just want to get it near the green from here. i chop it out with my SW and I'm in the fringe. I should have hit it harder but I'm okay with the result. I use my putter to chip it to about a foot. So I get a bogey out of it.

 

#9 par 4, pond on the left of the fairway as you approach the green. I always seem to hit my drive right on this hole. I hit a high push with my 4w, shocking.. I'm over the cart path that runs down the right side of this hole by about a yard or so. I don't trust a shot to the green because there is a large pine tree on the right of my path and I'd have to carry water to get on the green from where I am. i hit a little PW power chip about 50 yards. I'm close to 100 yards out and have a path to the green w/o water. I hit my PW and blade it.It rolls through the green, up a small slope behind the green, just short of a bunker, and rolls back onto the green and stops 6 feet from the hole. I got away with one there. I hit my putt but my aim is off and I miss low, stopping maybe 2 feet from the cup. I make the next one for a bogey 5.

 

So a 51. Not great but after my previous 45 holes, I'll take it. I hit 5/7 fairways with the 4w, even with my pull issue off the tee. I made it 9 holes with the same ball as well! No great holes, my short game bit, but I limited the damage except for that one 7.

 

My tee shot miss is starting to change. I seem to be hitting pulls now. I also am hitting more draws off the tee. I don't recall the last time I hit a fade with my tee shot and my miss had been mostly a push fade. My irons are dead pushes that come back left. I'm not hitting the push fade as much but still seem to like missing right with an iron. It's probably bad aim for the most part.

 

So I'll just keep at what I'm doing. Keep working on my short game because I'd rather either be in a bunker or 50 - 70 yards from the hole. I can't chip for crap and that's just stupid. Chipping is supposed to be one of the easier shots in the game.

 

I have hit my 6i quite a bit, which is why the yardgae is going up with it. I'm trying to hit my 7i more for the shots where I had been hitting 6i. I'm hoping that over time Arccos will readjust my average distance for that club. It seems to be ignoring some of my longer shots for some reason. My guess is it things those are aberrations, which I guess they are until I do it enough.

 

End of the day, it was fun out there. I hit some shots and didn't self destruct. A 51 isn't great per se but it's not horrible for where my game is.

 

Hope you have a good one and thanks for reading.

[Chip Duffer]

Bortass, good to see you’re finding good distances for your wedges. Looks like SW for 75, maybe GW for 85-90. Looks like you’re finding “your” game. Weather getting better, won’t be long until you find multiple good shots on each hole. Looks like you’re heading in the right direction.

[bortass]

Weather was nice yesterday but I couldn't play or hit the range. Today was pretty nice too, high 60s/low 70s but humid. There is a large cloudburst that started after I started typing this post to give an idea on humidity level. It took just under 2 hours to play the back 9. Some fairways are firming up but there are still plenty of wet/soft spots. I started my round with no expectation regarding my short game. I say this because I was being realistic since I have not practiced since last week. So I'm not expecting a sudden improvement.

 

I decided to get the Orange Whip I bought back in 2011/12 out of the garage. I figure I can use it to warm up a bit and that's what I did prior to teeing off.

 

10 - par 4 dogleg left with and elevated tee shot. The green is elevated too. Imagine a V shape with the fairway being the bottom point of said V. I have been losing the ball left off the tee, so I setup on the left side and aim right. I hit a draw with my 4w to the right side of the fairway 189 yards. I kind of prefer being on the left side since it shortens the hole and gives me a better angle with the greenside bunkers. I'm 150ish out to an elevated green and the flag is on the right behind the bunker that I'd prefer to avoid. I decide on my 7w and I catch it real thin. It probably only got a few feet off the ground and came to rest in the bunker I was hoping to avoid. So I'm in a bunker with a blind shot and the ball is on hard packed sand from the rain over the last few weeks. I go with my PW and blade that puppy. the ball takes off out of the bunker, hits the little rise between the bunker and green and hops up and on. When i finally get to a spot where i can see my ball I'm 8 feet short of the cup! One of the times a blade works out. I two putt for a bogey 5 and I'm happy overall.

 

11 - shorter par 4, dogleg left. There is a set of fairway bunkers 150 yards from the teal tees at the right corner of the fairway. I've been using my 7w here and decide on my 4i instead. I hit a low draw, a bit more right than i would have liked and watch it carry into the bunker... The shot itself was 148 yards, which is how I know the bunkers are 150ish :) My lie is okay, I'm 120-130ish out. the green is below me and i have to carry a stream. I figure my 6i will work. I want enough club to get across the stream if i mishit things. I also figure i'm more like;ly to come up short from a bunker. I make my swing and I catch the sand behind the ball. the ball popps up and out, like a pitch and goes 68 yards, coming to rest on the flat before the stream. I'm 60ish from center and hit a partial SW. I'm a little thin but I get good ball flight and I'm on the green near the front right. The flag is about 33 feet away from me to the left and more near the middle. I look at the putt and have an idea of how it's gonna break. I hit the ball and watch as it tracks on line and drops in the center of the cup for a par.

 

I am feeling great at this point!

 

12 - par 4, 90* dogleg left, you can't see the green from the tee. I setup up towards the middle of the tee box, maybe favoring the left a touch and aim for the middle of the fairway. I use my 4w and contact sounds great but I don't see the ball. As I'm standing there in my follow through a catch a glimpse of the ball high up against the clouds. It's going right down the middle. Great shot but probably too high, it goes 174 yards into the wind. I'm about 130 out and the green is elevated from me. I aim to the left side of the green, where the flag is, since I lose the ball right. Also the left side has no bunkers. There are bunkers starting at about the mid front through right front. I go with my 6i and dub this shot. I can't recall if I was think or chunked it but the ball goes right where i was aiming but only 71 yards. I'm 50 to center or so but the flag is left and closer. I decide to hit a partial LW. i can't remember the last time I used my LW... I chunk the shot and the ball goes 45* right about 24 yards. Seriously? Well I'm below the green and a good 10+ yards from the fringe and decide to chip with my GW. I make contact like I'm supposed to and the ball pops up in the air and flies toward the green. It lands short and rolls left, catching the downslope it rolls back towards me. Net result is the ball went 13 yards to the left and i'm over 5 yards short of the green. I'm happy with my contact but not the result. I use my putter from too far off the green and don't make it. I do it again and get on about 21 feet from the cup. I proceed to 3 putt for a sweet, sweet 9.... Good tee shot and it took 7 shots to get down from about 40 yards....

 

I'm not so happy now.

 

13 - par 3, elevated green about 15 feet above me. About 120ish and I hit 7i. The flag is towards the right, so I setup left and aim a bit towards the left side since my irons tend to leak right. I make decent contact and it's a high draw right down my target line. I'm just off the back left of the green and the flag is back right. There is a tier that runs from mid left to back right and the hole is on the upper tier where I am. Green slopes front to back (left to right based on my orientation), so I aim high and hit my chip with the putter. I'm not high enough and it breaks before the hole and trickles to the tier and rolls down it... I'm now 24 feet below the hole. I putt up the tier and get the ball short of the cup maybe 4 feet or so. I miss the next one and end up with a 5.... And i was thinking par as I walked from the tee to my ball...

 

I is gud at golf... I'm am not happy at all now. Two terrible holes IMO.

 

14 - par 5 with water on the right down by the green. It's a slightly elevated tee shot with a fairway that runs downhill to the green. I make real good contact with my 4w and it's a mid height draw that i see land in the middle of the fairway and bounce. I'm 190 off the tee and in a great spot. The middle of the green is 250ish, flag is back right and there's a pond on that side. I do my normal play and aim down the left edge of the fairway, well away from the water. I use my 4w and hit a low draw down the left side. It goes 181 yards and I'm in the fairway. I'm 70ish or so from center and the flag is past that on the right with a pond to the right and behind the hole from my angle. I don't want to get cute and hit a partial GW. I don't go after it and it's a high shot that lands on the green near the front( based on my approach angle) I am 77 feet from the hole and there is a tier that runs across this green at an angle. The ball is upper tier on the back left and the flag is on the lower tier, front right with pond behind... I look at how things will break and hit my putt. I don't hit it hard enough and come up about 10 feet short. I two putt from there for a bogey 6. I know 3 putts aren't good but from 75+feet, I don't consider it horrible.

 

15 - short par 4, elevated tee and the fairway is wet and soft. this is a hole that i think is always cart path only, even in the summer. I hit a nice draw with my 4w, 175 yards into the middle of the fairway. I'm 80ish out and go with a partial PW. I feel better with a partial swing at the moment. I make good contact but don't go after the shot again and the ball lands in the right front fringe and releases about a foot to barely get on the green. I'm about 14 feet away and two putt for a par!

 

I walk to the 16th tee and clean my ball in the ball washer thinking how I haven't lost a ball yet. Life is good.

 

16 - par 3, slightly elevated green with a stream running across the fairway about 85 yards off the tee. The flag is on the right behind bunkers and i have 130 or so to center. I need to get the ball there and go with my trusty 6i. I blade the ball about 1 foot off the ground and watch as it heads towards the stream. It disappears over the edge and I see the ball pop up in view and out of sight again. It hit a rock but there's no sign of it. So I drop. I think i have a combination brainfart with my GPS and decision making. I end up hitting a partial PW and I go after this one. it's nice and high, over the back right edge of the green. I find my ball against some small bushes. As it maybe 12 - 18 inches high and real scraggly. Maybe I can chop a wedge on the back of the ball? I take my GW to my ball and decide there's no way to get the club head on the ball without going through the bush. So i take an unplayable and chip/pitch with my GW. I make good contact and the ball sails high, lands on the green, and runs out about 26 feet past the hole. So I'm happy that I made contact like i'm supposed to and got the right ball flight but the end result is lackluster again. I am able to two putt for a nice 7, on a par 3...

 

17 - par 4 slight dogleg left. I top my 4w, the ball left a skid mark in the turf in front of the tee and it manages to roll out 164 yards into the fairway. At least this hole is dry off the tee since that ball never got more than a few feet off the ground. I'm in the fairway on the right side and the green is 180 - 190 yards. I hit my 4w and it's a push slice into the right trees.... The area is marked as a hazard and I take my drop. I'm now about 100 yards from center, on the right side and the flag is on the right. I go with my 9i and it's a high draw that lands in the right green side bunker that fronts the green. The shot went about 93 yards and I feel like I mishit it. I have a decent lie in the bunker and I'm short sided. I decide on my SW instead of GW. I setup and hit the sand behind the ball. it pops in the air and lands on the green, stopping 1.5 - 2 feet right of the hole. A great sand shot! I make the short putt and salvage a double bogey 6 after losing my second shot into the trees.

 

I'm walking to 18 thinking this round is shot score wise, maybe I should use driver off the tee.

 

18 - par 5, with a stream to deal with on shot #2 and a pond for any shot at the green unless you layup your third on the left side. It's driver time! the fairway is fairly wide and I push slice/fade the ball into the right trees.... I take a drop about 116 yards off the tee since it's marked as a hazard. I use my GPS to figure out how far from the stream I am. it's cuts at an angle across the fairway with the right side being closer and left side further away. My 7w looks safe and I hit a low draw down the left side, where I was aiming, and I lose sight of it. I find it on a cart path, 182 yard shot thanks to cart path help. I'm 170ish from center and would need to carry the stream and pond. No bueno, so I decide on something different. A partial 4i from the left rough. I hit it thin, it gets over the stream, and has a push fade ball flight, a few feet off the ground and I watch it roll into the pond.. Yup a bad idea with worse execution. I just needed to advance the ball 120 -130 yards down the left to leave myself a partial wedge 4th into the green. I drop by the pond and hit a partial SW. It lands on the green and went about 66 yards. I'm about 27 feet right and short of the hole which is more back left. I hit my first putt inside two feet and come away with a nice 8.

 

So let's talk about this round a bit. I shot a not so good 54. I had 4 penalty strokes, and a +5 9 that had no penalties, and still kept it in the low 50s. Yes, I'm trying to find a silver lining in all of this. I can live with the end results especially after kinda giving up on #18 and not staying within my game off the tee.

 

Driver still sucks, I had hoped that my success with the 4w would translate but no dice.

 

My wedge chipping I'll actually take. I know the results were bad but I actually hit the ball correctly for a change. I didn't blade it or chunk it. My distance control bit but I'm just happy I made the shots without mishitting them. I had some bad decisions when I used the putter to chip. That is truly unfortunate.

 

I hit 5/7 fairways with my 4w. The two misses were the 4i into the bunker on #11 and driver into the trees on 18. My accuracy with the 4w off the tee is pretty high, the drawback is I average about 173 yards with that club, including shots from the fairway. But I am sticking to the forward tees which mitigates it some. I wish I could move back to the whites but I'd need my driver to be serviceable to do that.

 

Game plan is still the same regarding practice focus. I'm still slowly reading Floyd's Elements of Scoring and I'm finding some useful advice in it. I also think I'll keep the Orange Whip in my bag to help me warm up. I'm seeing progress that may not be obvious from my posts but my game has come a long way since I returned to playing 4 months ago.

[Tanner25]

Bortass, If I may ask, what are your swing thoughts? You are on top of course management, which is great and something I need to better at. Recently, in wet conditions, I had a simple 130 yard shot over water and the ball went 110 in the water, had I bailed out left, it would be an easy chip and maybe up and down. Now, I know what a sucker pin means :-(

[bortass]

@Twin2L My wedge game used to be pretty good when I hit a lot of partial wedges at the range. I had my yardages down so I knew what to hit where but I'm not sure what those are these days. The shot I preferred is I think a knock down? Ball a little back in my stance and hands forward, partial swing back and through, steep into the ball on purpose. I always lay some sod after contact with this shot but it has seemed to work. The ball comes out a bit lower but still flies most of the way there.

I do feel like I'm heading in the right direction. There is a night and day difference even in the last two months. The two biggest changes are my 4w and irons. I am hitting the fairway the majority of the time with it. I want to say I'm missing between 0 - 2 fairways per 9 with that club recently. I'm also almost always hitting a draw with it. The fade off the tee seems to be becoming more rare. With my irons, I'm making better contact. The mishits are there but not as bad. I remember in December how most irons shots weren't getting in the air.
@Tanner25 I started to touch on my swing thought and it turned into a book, so I'm gonna mention course management first. Swing thought follows.

Course management is about understanding one's own game and limitations. A big part of it is knowing how far you actually hit a club which is a range. So I'll take your example. 130 yards to center with water fronting the green. So I need to have the ball airborne most of the way there. I normally hit my 6i between 128 - 150 and I can get it in the air. It's a wet lie though, so the odds of dubbing it go up for me. So depending on how things are going that day, I might make the shot or I'll layup and be safe. Odds are I layup because I'm not confident in my ability to not get wet. Of course I haven't had that shot much since the holes with ponds near greens, I tend to play safe or mess up the tee shot which limits my ability to go for it from more than 120 yards. I will have to push myself at some point to start taking these shots, with in reason of course.

#18 on my course may as well be a par 6, because I'm playing to be on in 4 shots. I have no concerns with my tee shot. just get it out there as far as I can. There is now a stream to deal with but it's near the end of my shot distances. Normally I'd have to carry 150 or more and if I go right, that distance shortens. That means instead of whacking a 4w down the left side, I will hit whatever will get me close to the edge of the stream safely. Now I may be 170+ from center, have to carry a stream right in front of me and a pond that fronts the green. The ball is wet if it leaks right at all too. Sure I could whack a 4w at it but the odds are slim I make it. So I hit a 6i to the fairway left of the green which should put me between 50 and 90 yards from center. Now I can go for it fairly safely.

I have no swing thoughts, if I understand what you're asking. 12 years ago when I decided I wanted to actually improve and break 100, I started to take lessons. I took them for 4 years and turned my instaslice into a draw and actually got good enough to shoot an 85 a couple of times. During that I learned that I couldn't take my lesson onto the course with me. Nothing good seemed to happen if I was thinking about mechanics while playing. I just swing the club when I play. Whatever happens, happens.

My preshot routine is as follows. Decide on what to hit based on the situation at hand. Grab the club and get behind the ball and determine my target. Find my target line and set my club down aimed at it. Get into my stance, sometimes there may be a waggle but that seems to be rare these days. Adjust my feet a bit and stand over the ball while looking at it. I don't know how long I'm 'frozen' over the ball but during this time, I seem to do something with my feet in my shoes, it kinda feels like I'm settling in. I clench and relax my fingers, maybe it's a way to try to relieve tension. This is where I may notice the ball seems too far forward. Then I swing. I have not used a practice swing, outside of short game or a special recovery shot, in a very long time.

After the shot, I diagnose it. This is all in my head, though I may say it out loud at times since I talk to myself, lol. That was thin or that was good contact as I watch what the ball does. If it's not good, I will try to think of why. For example, you were quick, slow down( I didn't feel the club set in my backswing) or I'll tie it to something I noticed at address which is normally XYZ doesn't seem right (but I swing anyhow). This all happens during the time I'm watching the ball and going to put my club back in my bag.

Walking to the ball, a bunch of different things will be going through my head. If it's a good shot, I will be 'basking in the glory' aka telling myself that I just hit a real solid shot and it's a great day to be playing. On a not so good shot, I'm thinking about what went astray. There will probably be some negative comments( I will touch on this a bit later in the post). I will usually still have the it's great to be playing thought. I will most likely still be thinking about what I think went wrong with the previous swing. I will start thinking about my next shot as I'm walking. It's really just high level stuff. Like my approach angle, if any, noting if there's anything to deal with such as bunkers to carry. I figure out out my strategy/goal for the next shot, in the majority of cases. For example, I dubbed a short tee shot, so I'm probably determining if I have a chance to hit a wood to make up ground. Or maybe I'm preparing myself mentally that I just need to get the ball back in play. Once I find and get to my ball, I start the preshot routine again.

Negative comment time. When I hit a bad shot or make a dumb decision, it's not rainbows and puppies in my head. It's also not doom and gloom. Many years ago, a single bad shot that lead to a big number would have me in the tank the rest of the round.

For example, my old home course when I was trying to break 50 on the front 9 for the first time ever. #4 is a longer par 3, about 150 yards, from an elevated tee with a stream carry. Any ball hit thin is going in the water unless you mishit it bad enough for it to stop short. there are also two large pines on the tee side of the stream on the right that will catch any push or shot that is going right and cause it to either drop short of the stream, in the stream, and very rarely on the green side bank of the stream. I could be doing okay through three( the third hole also carries this stream with your approach shot) and put one in the water on #4. The ensuing events would unfold and maybe I'd card a 7 on a par 3. The rest of my round would be shot, all that would be going through my head is what an idiot I was and that the round is ruined and there's no point since there's no way I can break 50. I eventually learned this was false and that i could still shot a low( for me) score with a big number on the card.

So learning over the years as I first broke 100 and then 90, my negative self talk changed. It went from 'the world is ending, you're an idiot for doing that' to 'well that's unfortunate' with a smaller level of internal frustration. Unless things have snowballed on me I still tend to slip in the 'it's a great day to be golfing' thought even after a poor shot. I think this is the greatest lesson golf has taught me to date, how to handle on the course adversity much better. It's why I can still finish a round strong after carding a large number right in the middle. Of course it doesn't always work out but I'm much better at not letting one bad shot lead to 12 more.

Hopefully my rambling will be useful to a reader out there, lol.

[bortass]

 

third shot, 51 yard SW, on par 5 #3. The ball is behind the cup BTW. When it hit the green and started rolling towards the flag, I thought I might have a good one. Too bad I fell off a cliff after this hole and yes I did make the birdie putt. Too bad I can't count on results like this more often, lol.

 

Positives today - I hit 6/7 fairways with the 4w. My miss was when I topped it on #5 and it didn't roll far enough to reach the FW. I made solid contact with the new chipping method a few times. Also my knee didn't seem to bother me like it has the last few weeks. The highlight is pictured above. Oh, I actually hit the fairway on #9 for a change too! I was hitting nice draws off the tee but it was a push fade off the turf, go figure. I hit some good iron shots even though I missed the greens right with them.

 

Negatives - short game issues, I picked up on #5. I had some problems but was to the right of the green in 4. I blade the ball through the green and almost into a stream. I have to hit a different kind of chip and sent back to where I started from. Next one slid under the ball and advanced it 2 feet. So I just called it good and put a 10 on the card. The kicker was a 7 on a par 3. Not a single penalty stroke in the bunch.

 

I had a birdie, one bogey, 5 doubles, and two blow ups. I was kinda happy when I was +2 after 3, lol. Oh well. tempo reared it's head today. At least I feel that's what led to some of the issues I had. I think if I can fix my missing greens right issue, I'll pick up a few strokes. I'm getting the ball the right distance when I miss right. The round wasn't pretty but I saw a number of good things in it and I'm still hopeful that I will be able to actually shoot some lower scores as I get some issues sorted out.

[Tanner25]

Hey Bortass,

 

I know you are well ahead of breaking 100. But, I thought you'd appreciate this breaking 100 video. We can all learn some pointers here on course mgmt.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO3VLbMfhWc

 

[bortass]

@Tanner25 That was a good video. beautiful course too. His course management and explanations were good. I really like the subject. I have at least 3 books that deal with it that I enjoyed reading. The concepts didn't always click or apply right away but I loved it.

Probably the biggest thing regarding course management is knowing your shot pattern, which includes predominate mishits. I'll take his second shot on, I think, the third hole, where it was 102 to the bunker and he estimated 120 carry from the rough, using a club he carries 130. He goes over the bunker, which is perfectly valid and I'd do the same these days. Now, if I were to be one to either blade the ball a lot or chunk it so my carry distances vary by a lot, I'd bail out right with a chip. I recall playing before I could break 100 being in wet rough, from dew, because we played 9 early in the morning. That shot killed me for the longest time. So in that lie, I took a short iron or wedge and just tried to hack it out as far as I could into the fairway. No way would I have tried the carry anything from that lie.

Course management, in theory, should be one of the easiest parts of the game since it's all mental. All you are doing is looking at the hole/next shot and applying your shot tendencies to decide what to do next. Of course, ego gets in the way, but sometimes you just need to take your medicine to avoid a blowup which will cost you more strokes than you would have saved with the risky shot.

That said, there is a time and place for a risky shot. If score isn't as critical or you are trying to learn something, take it. It's how you learn to hit shots. I will be trying to carry the stream on #18 with my second shot at some point. I can't play that hole as a par 5 unless I can take that shot. Of course it's not on my short term horizon. I don't trust my swing enough and I don't have a feel for what the shot needs.

I will say that I think my course management is much better lately than it was years ago. Part of it is the course. My old course had fairly open fairways and no bunkers. There were no holes where I'd have to tee off with an iron or risk going through the fairway. Definitely nothing like #18 with a stream and pond, lol.

I played 18 Saturday and will put it in a separate post.