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

[bortass]

21 hours ago, 95124hacker said:

What is the carry distance to cross the stream on your 2nd shot if you have a clean lie? From eyeball scaling it on the image, it looks like 160 ish from your 211 tee shot? That’s the shot you need on this hole, maybe a lofted hybrid if a long iron is uncomfortable for you.

 

Edit: I re-read your post & you said 6i-4w to carry the stream on your 2nd shot. The landing area just past the stream on the other side looks open & wide, bigger than the green for sure. I’d rather go for it on my 2nd shot vs the same club for my approach on the tee box side of the stream. Just need to elevate it & not thin it into the stream.

Where it gets interesting is when I can't carry the stream reliably with my second shot then I have to layup. Also what gets into the mix is I need to be on the right side of the fairway to try to reach the green and cross the stream with the same shot. I'm just too far away if my ball is on the left side to do it and i don't like the angles.

 

So my layup is either off to the left side because I have more room to not reach the stream AND my shot across the stream to the left takes the pond out of the mix.  A layup to the right side means I can either go for the green OR layup to the left but I don't have as good of an angle because of the pond. After typing that, I am wondering if I'm more risk adverse with the pond on a layup. The reason being if I send the ball into the pond on my third shot, it might as well have been aimed at the green and not the fairway on the left side.

[SNIPERBBB]

38 minutes ago, bortass said:

On which side of the stream are you referring to?

 

The fairway get's dodgy just short of the stream because of flooding. There's a flat area but it has no grass and you may have your ball sitting on either dirt, hard pan, or silt. I don't have a specific yardage range to stay short of the stream, I just do my best to not hit a shot that can roll into it. I have never hit a layup into the stream yet and hope to avoid that. I may give it too wide of a berth though. I can play around with thinsg and see what happens.

 

My original 20 yard comment was the buffer on the target side if I want to hit over the stream w/o laying up first. Say far side of the stream is 150 yards out. I'll hit my 7w most likely since it's a 175ish club.  More than that and it's how good do I feel with my 4w that day. If I had 170 yard carry, I probably lay up. My 4w is around 185ish and I don't want to be hitting something that if it's slightly mishit will cost me. I know the mishits happen at times, just like the great shots where the 4w goes 195+.

 

There are a few videos in this thread of my swing.  It has issues and I know it needs work as @TheDeanAbides mentioned. I looking at how can I play better with my current skillset. I am pretty sure I could score better than I am with the current state of my game. I am not expecting a miracle or anything but I think I can shave a few strokes here and there with smarter play. That's why I'm looking at the holes i score the worst on to see what the pattern is, if any. It could be course management off the tee or just don't hit it into the bunker all the time.

I was referring to carrying the stream.

[bortass]

2 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

I was referring to carrying the stream.

 How much of a buffer to carry the stream would you go with? My range dispersion, as in what's the range band I'm likely to hit the ball with a given club is over 10 yards with everything that's 8i+. Arrcos has my 8i as probably going between 127 and 138 yards for example. My 7w is 167 - 182. Of course, there are shots that are better or worse than those ranges.

[SNIPERBBB]

23 minutes ago, bortass said:

 How much of a buffer to carry the stream would you go with? My range dispersion, as in what's the range band I'm likely to hit the ball with a given club is over 10 yards with everything that's 8i+. Arrcos has my 8i as probably going between 127 and 138 yards for example. My 7w is 167 - 182. Of course, there are shots that are better or worse than those ranges.

10 yards from the fairway.  If you dump one in the stream every now and then, its only costing you a stroke

[95124hacker]

Here’s the Catch-22. To break 85 just once in a while, sometimes you have to go for broke like Arnie or Phil, but be willing to accept blowups. To break 85 consistently, you have to first break 90 consistently, which means playing more to your game & being “steady Eddie”.  So what would give you more satisfaction at this point, an 84 mixed in with some triple digits, or a steady stream of 88-92’s?

[berndgeurts]

@bortass I've been silently reading about your progress the last months, not posting much. But I've got a challenge for you and am curious about the result. 

I want you to take all the long clubs out of your bag and play your course with only 7i, 8i,9i, pw, sw and putter. 

Before this round you need to make a pre round strategy. Then play "boring" golf. Just advance the ball to the fairway and green. Stay away of danger. 

Let's see if we take away the blow up holes.

I think that many high score are not only because of strategy, but because of fundamental swing faults which are more pronounced in the lower lofted clubs. Therefore I am curious to see what your score will be when we take away these clubs. 

 

Are you up for it?

 

[TheDeanAbides]

10 minutes ago, berndgeurts said:

@bortass I've been silently reading about your progress the last months, not posting much. But I've got a challenge for you and am curious about the result. 

I want you to take all the long clubs out of your bag and play your course with only 7i, 8i,9i, pw, sw and putter. 

Before this round you need to make a pre round strategy. Then play "boring" golf. Just advance the ball to the fairway and green. Stay away of danger. 

Let's see if we take away the blow up holes.

I think that many high score are not only because of strategy, but because of fundamental swing faults which are more pronounced in the lower lofted clubs. Therefore I am curious to see what your score will be when we take away these clubs. 

 

Are you up for it?

 

I’ve already suggested this. 

[berndgeurts]

3 hours ago, TheDeanAbides said:

I’ve already suggested this. 

Smart suggestion

[95124hacker]

You can take this advice as you wish. I’m just some random dude who shares the love of golf with you.

 

Previously I used statistical theory to calculate your probability of breaking 85 given your last 20 or so scores at the time. It was pretty low. I didn’t do that to make you feel bad or hopeless but rather to give you a reality check. Every golfer even Jon Rahm or whoever your favorite pro is has a goal that is very low probability statistically (for Rahm that might be shooting 58!).

 

In those situations, my belief is a moonshot is worth trying. I used to coach youth basketball & whenever we were faced with a low probability to win (either against a vastly superior opponent or when we just weren’t executing), I made a drastic change in strategy. At that point, it didn’t matter if we lost by 10 or 30 (my players understood that). So what is your moonshot? Maybe play a round where you do the opposite of what you normally do. You may need to tell your playing partners that this round is a practice round, no betting. In the process, I’ll bet you learn a few new things about your game, hopefully positive.

 

Again, a stranger’s $0.02.

Edited January 30, 2022 by 95124hacker

[dvq9654]

On 1/28/2022 at 11:08 PM, berndgeurts said:

@bortass I've been silently reading about your progress the last months, not posting much. But I've got a challenge for you and am curious about the result. 

I want you to take all the long clubs out of your bag and play your course with only 7i, 8i,9i, pw, sw and putter. 

Before this round you need to make a pre round strategy. Then play "boring" golf. Just advance the ball to the fairway and green. Stay away of danger. 

Let's see if we take away the blow up holes.

I think that many high score are not only because of strategy, but because of fundamental swing faults which are more pronounced in the lower lofted clubs. Therefore I am curious to see what your score will be when we take away these clubs. 

 

Are you up for it?

 

I think this is an interesting concept, and definitely worth a try. Even consider moving up a tee or two if needed. 

 

Course management is important, but it's hard to enact without consistency, so playing with a short bag, allowing for better consistency, while also thinking about strategy may have an interesting result. It may also show nothing, but would be fun either way. 

 

I saw this in action yesterday. Played with a guy who on every par 5 went driver (which he did not hit far), wedge, wedge. He was on in 3 for all of them and walked away with at least one birdie (maybe two). I rarely see someone so restrained, and it certainly worked. 

[bortass]

On 1/28/2022 at 9:15 PM, 95124hacker said:

Here’s the Catch-22. To break 85 just once in a while, sometimes you have to go for broke like Arnie or Phil, but be willing to accept blowups. To break 85 consistently, you have to first break 90 consistently, which means playing more to your game & being “steady Eddie”.  So what would give you more satisfaction at this point, an 84 mixed in with some triple digits, or a steady stream of 88-92’s?

I have to be honest. A steady stream of 88-92s would be nice. I would feel like I am a better golfer. My lowest score is my known potential. I still assume if I did it once I can do it again. My scoring always seems erratic. It's why I like points games. Bad holes don't hurt me and I can string together enough pars and bogeys in a round to do some damage. In theory, if I reduce the known blowups some and play my normal game on other holes my scores should drop.

 

I have seen flashes of solid golf but that's it. That 41/52 93 on Dec 4th is a good example. I've played the front 9 and shot between 41 and 43, 3 times now. So it's not a one time deal but it's so rare. On those days the ball went where I wanted and I had some luck like sinking a 12 foot birdie putt. I didn't have to hit anything that I was not comfortable with though. There was no press. All aspects of my game were decent for a change. My approach game was better than it typically is as was my short game. Driving was pretty typical and my putting was meh. 

 

On the back 9 of that round, I started to struggle a little. Went double, bogey, double, double.

 

#10 par 4, my worse hole score wise, I pulled my driver to the left of the cart path and got lucky it didn't go into the trees. Mishit a 9i into the front bunker. Out of bunker onto the fringe. Chip with putter to 3 feet and 2 putt...

#11 par 4, smoke my 7w, 211 yards into the bunkers I aim at. Get the ball out of the bunker and short of the stream. Hit a long pitch( 58 yards) to 12 feet and 2 putt.

#12 par 4, solid drive but a bit right and into the rough near the fairway bunker that marks the corner.  Mishit 9i into front bunker. On the fringe in 1. Chip with putter to 3 feet and 2 putt.

#13 par 3, bad club selection. The hole was back right and around 126-128 yards or so, I hit my 8i 132 yards and just over the green near the flag. 2 chips to get to 12 feet and 2 putts.

 

I finally blew up on #14 with a penalty less triple bogey.

 

Just my opinion, I have the skills to play better than I do most of the time. Some course management to limit blow ups will help and those changes are easier/faster than swing changes.

 

Does this make sense or did I type a disjointed mess?

[bortass]

On 1/29/2022 at 2:08 AM, berndgeurts said:

@bortass I've been silently reading about your progress the last months, not posting much. But I've got a challenge for you and am curious about the result. 

I want you to take all the long clubs out of your bag and play your course with only 7i, 8i,9i, pw, sw and putter. 

Before this round you need to make a pre round strategy. Then play "boring" golf. Just advance the ball to the fairway and green. Stay away of danger. 

Let's see if we take away the blow up holes.

I think that many high score are not only because of strategy, but because of fundamental swing faults which are more pronounced in the lower lofted clubs. Therefore I am curious to see what your score will be when we take away these clubs. 

 

Are you up for it?

 

Quick question, would this be from my normal tees or by moving up? I am game to try this on some 9 hole rounds when I get out during the week. I may even be able to get in some 9 hole rounds on the back to try it. I rarely get to play 18 unless it's the Saturday game with all the guys and I'm not sure I'd want to limit my bag those rounds.

 

23 hours ago, 95124hacker said:

You can take this advice as you wish. I’m just some random dude who shares the love of golf with you.

 

Previously I used statistical theory to calculate your probability of breaking 85 given your last 20 or so scores at the time. It was pretty low. I didn’t do that to make you feel bad or hopeless but rather to give you a reality check. Every golfer even Jon Rahm or whoever your favorite pro is has a goal that is very low probability statistically (for Rahm that might be shooting 58!).

 

In those situations, my belief is a moonshot is worth trying. I used to coach youth basketball & whenever we were faced with a low probability to win (either against a vastly superior opponent or when we just weren’t executing), I made a drastic change in strategy. At that point, it didn’t matter if we lost by 10 or 30 (my players understood that). So what is your moonshot? Maybe play a round where you do the opposite of what you normally do. You may need to tell your playing partners that this round is a practice round, no betting. In the process, I’ll bet you learn a few new things about your game, hopefully positive.

 

Again, a stranger’s $0.02.

It didn't make me feel bad since reality is my scores do not support the thought that I'll break 85 anytime soon.

 

The moonshot is interesting. It would be playing very aggressively and seeing what happens. The Saturday game is a net skins game, so my total score doesn't matter. It just matters for my self esteem and index....

[berndgeurts]

Yeah I meant a practice round, 9 holes or 18 holes doesn't matter. 

[bortass]

46 minutes ago, berndgeurts said:

Yeah I meant a practice round, 9 holes or 18 holes doesn't matter. 

I will do this as soon as I can. I have not been able to play the last two weeks and I may be able to get in 9 at some point later this week.

 

I forgot to ask, how's your game these days?

 

Both you and @95124hacker bring up different flavors of a similar concept. Playing the game differently than normal to learn and grow. I have never really bought into the practice round concept much. I'm playing a solo 9 and just trying to shoot my best score with my current strategy. I'm not trying a lot of new things out there. 

 

[bortass]

  Just played my first round since 1/15. The previous 2 Saturday rounds were cancelled because the course was closed due to weather conditions. I made it to the range twice the other week and that's it. Today it was below 30 when I headed over. All the guys cancelled but I went out solo. It was cart path only. Casual water was fairly prevalent and there was ice in the shadows in spots. Also a decent wind as well. It was not good conditions for golf but it was great to be able to play again.

 

     Because of the situation I decided to take @berndgeurts suggestion. I play the entire round with my 7i as the longest club. I did use the 5i a couple of times for bump and run chips. I felt that was still within the spirit of the exercise. I also played the forward tees which are 5484 yards versus 5963 from the whites. I seriously doubt I can realistically play the whites with my 7i being the longest club in my bag because of the lack of distance. My average drive was 141 yards.

 

I shot a 48/49 97 and used the same ball the entire round. Not a single penalty in the mix! It was not a good day to score well. Temps maybe in the low 40s at best. A strong wind and a very soft course. I'd hit some shots with the 7i and the ball would plug or hit and only roll a yard. So I can't say this was a bad round even with that score.

 

I noticed that on #7 and #10, my 7i tee shot into the fairway was in line to where I tend to hit a push fade/slice either OOB or into the right trees with my driver or 4w. So I gained a stroke or 2 over my mishit on those holes AND I was in the fairway, not dropping in the rough.

 

#18 was the @SNIPERBBB hole. Par 5 with the stream and pond. I hit a 141 yard 7i and missed well left. My ball was on leaves and below my feet on a pretty steep slope. I hit my 7i again and hit a bladed push slice 98 yards into the right rough, near the fairway bunker. Wind is in my face and I look at what it would take to carry the stream. It's playing like 125-130ish. So I go for it. My 7i shot is a bit heavy and a high draw but it goes 103 yards and clears the stream by maybe 5 yards, lol. I look things over and I can reach the green with a 7i shot to the back flag. I catch it a bit thin but it goes 124 yards and ends up 9 feet past the hole on the back of the green. I two putt for bogey. I'll mention again I going into the wind with every shot on this hole which is why the distances are so short with the mishits.

 

Key thing I learned is I can reach the green from that section of the hole with an 8i or less under more normal conditions. Now it's a question of can I get my ball to that spot in 2 and not 3 shots?

 

 

I blew up on two holes, both with triple bogeys.

#3, a par 5, I topped my third 7i shot and then my 4th. 5th shot was a thin SW that went through the green. I chipped to 3 feet and missed the putt...

#10, par 4 I struggle with. 140 yard 7i off the tee into the wind, ball lands in the fairway. I then hit a 131 yard knockdown with my 7i down the fairway to the flat spot short of the green. My approach shot was blind to a back right pin, so about 70ish yards or so. I hit my partial SW thin and it goes 80 yards into the back rough. 2 chips to get it to 2 feet and I miss that putt as well....

 

I had a par on #5, which is a par 5 that normally gives me problems. It's only 439 from the forward tees and I use an iron when playing them on this hole anyways. I hit a high draw down the right side with wind assists and the ball lands on the cart path and takes a high bounce in the air and continues on down. 213 yard drive that got me to the corner, lol.

 

I missed 4 fairways. Push fade into the right rough of #1.  Pull hook into a bunker on 6. High pull into the left rough on #9. High pull onto the left slope of #18. 

 

I hit my 7i for practically every full shot. The only real bad ones were the two tops on #3. I caught some thin and some fat. Overall I was hitting a draw with it the majority of the time.

 

I had serious miscues with putting and short game to be honest. I am normally decent with partial wedges and with pitch shots. I messed up a few of these. I also had 2 holes where I chipped twice. I missed 3 putts inside 3 feet as well. I did get lucky and sank some long one to help offset things.

 

As the round went on I started to hit a different shot with the 7i at times. It's a 3/4 backswing and a lower follow through. I consider it a knockdown but i don't know if that's the right term for it. The ball comes out lower but still has real good distance on it.

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 2

bogeys: 9

double bogeys: 5

triple+: 2

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 141 yards, all with 7i

Longest drive: 213 yards, cart path assist

Fairways: 10/14

GIR: 1/18

Avg Approach: 105 yards

Up & down: 2/13

Putts: 33

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -14.6 strokes

driving: -5.1,  -3.7 of this is because of distance!

Approach: -8.3, -3.6 of this was for the 150-200 yard band. Normally I'm losing 1.X strokes in that distance range. My 100-150 yard range band was actually better than normal today.

Short game: +0.6

Putting: - 1.7, I was -2.5 under 10 feet! I was saved by my putting from 10-25 feet where I was +1.8

[berndgeurts]

16 hours ago, bortass said:

  Just played my first round since 1/15. The previous 2 Saturday rounds were cancelled because the course was closed due to weather conditions. I made it to the range twice the other week and that's it. Today it was below 30 when I headed over. All the guys cancelled but I went out solo. It was cart path only. Casual water was fairly prevalent and there was ice in the shadows in spots. Also a decent wind as well. It was not good conditions for golf but it was great to be able to play again.

 

     Because of the situation I decided to take @berndgeurts suggestion. I play the entire round with my 7i as the longest club. I did use the 5i a couple of times for bump and run chips. I felt that was still within the spirit of the exercise. I also played the forward tees which are 5484 yards versus 5963 from the whites. I seriously doubt I can realistically play the whites with my 7i being the longest club in my bag because of the lack of distance. My average drive was 141 yards.

 

I shot a 48/49 97 and used the same ball the entire round. Not a single penalty in the mix! It was not a good day to score well. Temps maybe in the low 40s at best. A strong wind and a very soft course. I'd hit some shots with the 7i and the ball would plug or hit and only roll a yard. So I can't say this was a bad round even with that score.

 

I noticed that on #7 and #10, my 7i tee shot into the fairway was in line to where I tend to hit a push fade/slice either OOB or into the right trees with my driver or 4w. So I gained a stroke or 2 over my mishit on those holes AND I was in the fairway, not dropping in the rough.

 

#18 was the @SNIPERBBB hole. Par 5 with the stream and pond. I hit a 141 yard 7i and missed well left. My ball was on leaves and below my feet on a pretty steep slope. I hit my 7i again and hit a bladed push slice 98 yards into the right rough, near the fairway bunker. Wind is in my face and I look at what it would take to carry the stream. It's playing like 125-130ish. So I go for it. My 7i shot is a bit heavy and a high draw but it goes 103 yards and clears the stream by maybe 5 yards, lol. I look things over and I can reach the green with a 7i shot to the back flag. I catch it a bit thin but it goes 124 yards and ends up 9 feet past the hole on the back of the green. I two putt for bogey. I'll mention again I going into the wind with every shot on this hole which is why the distances are so short with the mishits.

 

Key thing I learned is I can reach the green from that section of the hole with an 8i or less under more normal conditions. Now it's a question of can I get my ball to that spot in 2 and not 3 shots?

 

 

I blew up on two holes, both with triple bogeys.

#3, a par 5, I topped my third 7i shot and then my 4th. 5th shot was a thin SW that went through the green. I chipped to 3 feet and missed the putt...

#10, par 4 I struggle with. 140 yard 7i off the tee into the wind, ball lands in the fairway. I then hit a 131 yard knockdown with my 7i down the fairway to the flat spot short of the green. My approach shot was blind to a back right pin, so about 70ish yards or so. I hit my partial SW thin and it goes 80 yards into the back rough. 2 chips to get it to 2 feet and I miss that putt as well....

 

I had a par on #5, which is a par 5 that normally gives me problems. It's only 439 from the forward tees and I use an iron when playing them on this hole anyways. I hit a high draw down the right side with wind assists and the ball lands on the cart path and takes a high bounce in the air and continues on down. 213 yard drive that got me to the corner, lol.

 

I missed 4 fairways. Push fade into the right rough of #1.  Pull hook into a bunker on 6. High pull into the left rough on #9. High pull onto the left slope of #18. 

 

I hit my 7i for practically every full shot. The only real bad ones were the two tops on #3. I caught some thin and some fat. Overall I was hitting a draw with it the majority of the time.

 

I had serious miscues with putting and short game to be honest. I am normally decent with partial wedges and with pitch shots. I messed up a few of these. I also had 2 holes where I chipped twice. I missed 3 putts inside 3 feet as well. I did get lucky and sank some long one to help offset things.

 

As the round went on I started to hit a different shot with the 7i at times. It's a 3/4 backswing and a lower follow through. I consider it a knockdown but i don't know if that's the right term for it. The ball comes out lower but still has real good distance on it.

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 2

bogeys: 9

double bogeys: 5

triple+: 2

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 141 yards, all with 7i

Longest drive: 213 yards, cart path assist

Fairways: 10/14

GIR: 1/18

Avg Approach: 105 yards

Up & down: 2/13

Putts: 33

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -14.6 strokes

driving: -5.1,  -3.7 of this is because of distance!

Approach: -8.3, -3.6 of this was for the 150-200 yard band. Normally I'm losing 1.X strokes in that distance range. My 100-150 yard range band was actually better than normal today.

Short game: +0.6

Putting: - 1.7, I was -2.5 under 10 feet! I was saved by my putting from 10-25 feet where I was +1.8

A 97 on a cold and wet day, no balls lost, I call this a win! Did you feel you could go even lower? Did you feel comfortable through the round? If so try to add the 6i, maybe even a hybrid.

Find out where the penalty strokes kick in.

Did you enjoy the round of golf in this format?

[SNIPERBBB]

18 hours ago, bortass said:

  Just played my first round since 1/15. The previous 2 Saturday rounds were cancelled because the course was closed due to weather conditions. I made it to the range twice the other week and that's it. Today it was below 30 when I headed over. All the guys cancelled but I went out solo. It was cart path only. Casual water was fairly prevalent and there was ice in the shadows in spots. Also a decent wind as well. It was not good conditions for golf but it was great to be able to play again.

 

     Because of the situation I decided to take @berndgeurts suggestion. I play the entire round with my 7i as the longest club. I did use the 5i a couple of times for bump and run chips. I felt that was still within the spirit of the exercise. I also played the forward tees which are 5484 yards versus 5963 from the whites. I seriously doubt I can realistically play the whites with my 7i being the longest club in my bag because of the lack of distance. My average drive was 141 yards.

 

I shot a 48/49 97 and used the same ball the entire round. Not a single penalty in the mix! It was not a good day to score well. Temps maybe in the low 40s at best. A strong wind and a very soft course. I'd hit some shots with the 7i and the ball would plug or hit and only roll a yard. So I can't say this was a bad round even with that score.

 

I noticed that on #7 and #10, my 7i tee shot into the fairway was in line to where I tend to hit a push fade/slice either OOB or into the right trees with my driver or 4w. So I gained a stroke or 2 over my mishit on those holes AND I was in the fairway, not dropping in the rough.

 

#18 was the @SNIPERBBB hole. Par 5 with the stream and pond. I hit a 141 yard 7i and missed well left. My ball was on leaves and below my feet on a pretty steep slope. I hit my 7i again and hit a bladed push slice 98 yards into the right rough, near the fairway bunker. Wind is in my face and I look at what it would take to carry the stream. It's playing like 125-130ish. So I go for it. My 7i shot is a bit heavy and a high draw but it goes 103 yards and clears the stream by maybe 5 yards, lol. I look things over and I can reach the green with a 7i shot to the back flag. I catch it a bit thin but it goes 124 yards and ends up 9 feet past the hole on the back of the green. I two putt for bogey. I'll mention again I going into the wind with every shot on this hole which is why the distances are so short with the mishits.

 

Key thing I learned is I can reach the green from that section of the hole with an 8i or less under more normal conditions. Now it's a question of can I get my ball to that spot in 2 and not 3 shots?

 

 

I blew up on two holes, both with triple bogeys.

#3, a par 5, I topped my third 7i shot and then my 4th. 5th shot was a thin SW that went through the green. I chipped to 3 feet and missed the putt...

#10, par 4 I struggle with. 140 yard 7i off the tee into the wind, ball lands in the fairway. I then hit a 131 yard knockdown with my 7i down the fairway to the flat spot short of the green. My approach shot was blind to a back right pin, so about 70ish yards or so. I hit my partial SW thin and it goes 80 yards into the back rough. 2 chips to get it to 2 feet and I miss that putt as well....

 

I had a par on #5, which is a par 5 that normally gives me problems. It's only 439 from the forward tees and I use an iron when playing them on this hole anyways. I hit a high draw down the right side with wind assists and the ball lands on the cart path and takes a high bounce in the air and continues on down. 213 yard drive that got me to the corner, lol.

 

I missed 4 fairways. Push fade into the right rough of #1.  Pull hook into a bunker on 6. High pull into the left rough on #9. High pull onto the left slope of #18. 

 

I hit my 7i for practically every full shot. The only real bad ones were the two tops on #3. I caught some thin and some fat. Overall I was hitting a draw with it the majority of the time.

 

I had serious miscues with putting and short game to be honest. I am normally decent with partial wedges and with pitch shots. I messed up a few of these. I also had 2 holes where I chipped twice. I missed 3 putts inside 3 feet as well. I did get lucky and sank some long one to help offset things.

 

As the round went on I started to hit a different shot with the 7i at times. It's a 3/4 backswing and a lower follow through. I consider it a knockdown but i don't know if that's the right term for it. The ball comes out lower but still has real good distance on it.

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 2

bogeys: 9

double bogeys: 5

triple+: 2

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 141 yards, all with 7i

Longest drive: 213 yards, cart path assist

Fairways: 10/14

GIR: 1/18

Avg Approach: 105 yards

Up & down: 2/13

Putts: 33

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -14.6 strokes

driving: -5.1,  -3.7 of this is because of distance!

Approach: -8.3, -3.6 of this was for the 150-200 yard band. Normally I'm losing 1.X strokes in that distance range. My 100-150 yard range band was actually better than normal today.

Short game: +0.6

Putting: - 1.7, I was -2.5 under 10 feet! I was saved by my putting from 10-25 feet where I was +1.8

Least you're playing. I'm just trapping coyotes and beaver and reffing basketball games until things warm up again here

[betarhoalphadelta]

20 hours ago, bortass said:

 As the round went on I started to hit a different shot with the 7i at times. It's a 3/4 backswing and a lower follow through. I consider it a knockdown but i don't know if that's the right term for it. The ball comes out lower but still has real good distance on it.

 

Good round! Given that you were limiting yourself distance-wise, it's not a surprise that the number of pars was a bit lower than usual, but great that there were no penalties and only two blow-ups all day.

 

Regarding the quoted bit, I remember something where Tiger had said that when he wanted to hit a low shot, he'd finish his hands low, and when he wanted a high shot, he'd finish his hands high. I don't know how or why that works, but maybe you stumbled onto the same thing?

[TheDeanAbides]

20 hours ago, bortass said:

  Just played my first round since 1/15. The previous 2 Saturday rounds were cancelled because the course was closed due to weather conditions. I made it to the range twice the other week and that's it. Today it was below 30 when I headed over. All the guys cancelled but I went out solo. It was cart path only. Casual water was fairly prevalent and there was ice in the shadows in spots. Also a decent wind as well. It was not good conditions for golf but it was great to be able to play again.

 

     Because of the situation I decided to take @berndgeurts suggestion. I play the entire round with my 7i as the longest club. I did use the 5i a couple of times for bump and run chips. I felt that was still within the spirit of the exercise. I also played the forward tees which are 5484 yards versus 5963 from the whites. I seriously doubt I can realistically play the whites with my 7i being the longest club in my bag because of the lack of distance. My average drive was 141 yards.

 

I shot a 48/49 97 and used the same ball the entire round. Not a single penalty in the mix! It was not a good day to score well. Temps maybe in the low 40s at best. A strong wind and a very soft course. I'd hit some shots with the 7i and the ball would plug or hit and only roll a yard. So I can't say this was a bad round even with that score.

 

I noticed that on #7 and #10, my 7i tee shot into the fairway was in line to where I tend to hit a push fade/slice either OOB or into the right trees with my driver or 4w. So I gained a stroke or 2 over my mishit on those holes AND I was in the fairway, not dropping in the rough.

 

#18 was the @SNIPERBBB hole. Par 5 with the stream and pond. I hit a 141 yard 7i and missed well left. My ball was on leaves and below my feet on a pretty steep slope. I hit my 7i again and hit a bladed push slice 98 yards into the right rough, near the fairway bunker. Wind is in my face and I look at what it would take to carry the stream. It's playing like 125-130ish. So I go for it. My 7i shot is a bit heavy and a high draw but it goes 103 yards and clears the stream by maybe 5 yards, lol. I look things over and I can reach the green with a 7i shot to the back flag. I catch it a bit thin but it goes 124 yards and ends up 9 feet past the hole on the back of the green. I two putt for bogey. I'll mention again I going into the wind with every shot on this hole which is why the distances are so short with the mishits.

 

Key thing I learned is I can reach the green from that section of the hole with an 8i or less under more normal conditions. Now it's a question of can I get my ball to that spot in 2 and not 3 shots?

 

 

I blew up on two holes, both with triple bogeys.

#3, a par 5, I topped my third 7i shot and then my 4th. 5th shot was a thin SW that went through the green. I chipped to 3 feet and missed the putt...

#10, par 4 I struggle with. 140 yard 7i off the tee into the wind, ball lands in the fairway. I then hit a 131 yard knockdown with my 7i down the fairway to the flat spot short of the green. My approach shot was blind to a back right pin, so about 70ish yards or so. I hit my partial SW thin and it goes 80 yards into the back rough. 2 chips to get it to 2 feet and I miss that putt as well....

 

I had a par on #5, which is a par 5 that normally gives me problems. It's only 439 from the forward tees and I use an iron when playing them on this hole anyways. I hit a high draw down the right side with wind assists and the ball lands on the cart path and takes a high bounce in the air and continues on down. 213 yard drive that got me to the corner, lol.

 

I missed 4 fairways. Push fade into the right rough of #1.  Pull hook into a bunker on 6. High pull into the left rough on #9. High pull onto the left slope of #18. 

 

I hit my 7i for practically every full shot. The only real bad ones were the two tops on #3. I caught some thin and some fat. Overall I was hitting a draw with it the majority of the time.

 

I had serious miscues with putting and short game to be honest. I am normally decent with partial wedges and with pitch shots. I messed up a few of these. I also had 2 holes where I chipped twice. I missed 3 putts inside 3 feet as well. I did get lucky and sank some long one to help offset things.

 

As the round went on I started to hit a different shot with the 7i at times. It's a 3/4 backswing and a lower follow through. I consider it a knockdown but i don't know if that's the right term for it. The ball comes out lower but still has real good distance on it.

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 2

bogeys: 9

double bogeys: 5

triple+: 2

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 141 yards, all with 7i

Longest drive: 213 yards, cart path assist

Fairways: 10/14

GIR: 1/18

Avg Approach: 105 yards

Up & down: 2/13

Putts: 33

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -14.6 strokes

driving: -5.1,  -3.7 of this is because of distance!

Approach: -8.3, -3.6 of this was for the 150-200 yard band. Normally I'm losing 1.X strokes in that distance range. My 100-150 yard range band was actually better than normal today.

Short game: +0.6

Putting: - 1.7, I was -2.5 under 10 feet! I was saved by my putting from 10-25 feet where I was +1.8

For what it’s worth, my buddy played an entire season hitting 7 iron off every tee. He was losing balls and basically very wild. Admittedly he’s longer than you, but it took him to regularly breaking 90. He then moved to 5 iron. Two years later he’s off 9 and just yesterday shot 78 (par 72, 6600 yards ish, slope 130 ish) after being level par through 15. 
 

I’ve always believed it’s a great way to learn the course and play while you work on your game.

[bortass]

7 hours ago, berndgeurts said:

A 97 on a cold and wet day, no balls lost, I call this a win! Did you feel you could go even lower? Did you feel comfortable through the round? If so try to add the 6i, maybe even a hybrid.

Find out where the penalty strokes kick in.

Did you enjoy the round of golf in this format?

I had a lot of fun playing this way! In fact I did it again today. I’ll write more about it tomorrow but I lost my first ball on 18 today. So 35 holes with the same ball. My record best is around 54 holes with the same ball but that was a long time ago.

 

Playing with the limited clubs is refreshing actually. I seriously just hit 7i a lot through both rounds. Not much thought about it. 7i also is the club I use at the range for full swing work.

 

I feel like I should have shot much lower scores both days as well. The 7i didn’t lead to higher scores.

[bortass]

I did the 7i experiment again yesterday. Conditions were similar as the day before but a little better. Course was a little dryer. It was in the low 40s. Not as much wind. I wouldn't call it scoring conditions at all but it was great to get out and play.

 

I shot a 51/49, 100. Sounds terrible, but again, it wasn't using the 7i off the tee that created the big numbers except on #18. I did get lucky a few times though because I did not have good accuracy and even went into the right trees a few times. 

 

1 - 375 yard par 4. 161 yard 7i into the right edge of the fairway. Another so so 7i into the left rough. Hit a partial PW 102 yards to 15 feet and 2 putt, bogey.

 

2 - 133 yard par 3 wind in my face. 138 yard 8i that carried the entire green... Hit that puppy pure. The back of this green is elevated from the surrounding terrain, so I'm pitching up to it and it slopes away from me but it's a forward flag.  I pitch it to 12 feet and 2 putt for bogey.

 

3 - 452 yard par 5, 3 young adults are waiting for me on the tee box and let me play through. My 7i tee shot is a push into the right trees, 115 yards. i find my ball on some leaves and I punch 118 yards into the fairway with my 7i. My next 7i is a bit thin but goes 137 yards, a fallen branch in the middle of the fairway stopped my ball... They have not been able to clean the course of debris from the rains last week. it's too soft for equipment to go out there. I have a partial PW into the green and top it... I'm not pitching and hit a great looking shot, 43 yards, to 3 feet. I make the putt, bogey.

 

I felt rushed because of playing through but the people that let me through did not putt any pressure on me. it's just me trying to get out of the way as fast as possible, lol.

 

4 - 283 yard par 4. My 7i tee shot is a nice draw, 154 yards into the fairway near the left edge. I have a 7i into the green and blade it short. My chip is poor and I leave it 44 feet short. My first putt is 12 feet short... 3 putt, double bogey.

 

5 -  439 yard par 5. A group in the fairway waves me up. A low thin tees hot that goes 135 yards. Blade the next 7i, 121 yards, to the corner. Chunk my 9i 35 yards. Hit a solid 7i, 142 yards and miss the green to the back right. Hit a bad chip off the front of the green. Chip to 14 feet and 2 putts for a triple.

 

Again, I felt rushed playing through.

 

6 - 290 yard par 4. I hit a push with the 7i, 141 yards into the right rough. I can reach the green but need to aim for the right side to avoid the bunker that's front left. I hit a great looking shot but I'm aimed too far right. it goes 155 yards and I'm in the right rough towards the back of the green. I hit a great pitch to 5 feet and miss the putt, bogey.

 

7 - 346 yard par 4, elevated tee shot. I hit it great and it's a high draw down the right side, 173 yards but into the rough. I mishit the next 7i into the rough on the right slope. Hit a partial SW onto the green and 18 feet past the hole. 2 putts for bogey.

 

8 - 140 yard, elevated, par 3. Hit a solid 8i, nice high draw but a touch too far right. It carries the bunker on the right side of the green by a couple feet. Ball is in the rough and I have a foot in the bunker. I mishit the ship into the bunker. It takes me 2 to get out and to 3 feet. make the double bogey putt.

 

9 - 300 yard par 4 with a pond. Group lets me play through. High push fade with the 7i, 146 yards, into the rough of #1 by a tree. Decide to hit a partial SW to get into position but it's the wrong shot and my aim sucks. The ball comes out nice and high and goes into a tree... I figure i can now punch a 7i into the green or at least close to the right side. Good contact but it starts a bit too far right and goes into the branches of another tree. Punch another 7i, 75 yards, to get onto the upper tier. the hole is botton tier and I'm 27 feet away. My first putt misses low and rolls 9 feet long... 3 putts for a triple.

 

Another blow up when playing through...

 

10 -  338 yard par 4. I struggle on thsi hole. I hit a high push fade, 152 yards into the right trees. I somehow find my ball and hack it out into the right rough. I punch my 7i to the flat area short of the green. I now have a blind shot to a back hole location. I hit a partial AW and it's a good looking shot that should be on the green. I get up there and it was an 84 yard shot to inside 18 inches... I make the putt and escape with a bogey.

 

11 - 268 yard par 4 with a forced stream carry. I hit a mid height draw that follows the curve of the hole and it lands on a downslope, 181 yards and I'm in the fairway on the downslope that leads to the stream. I hit a partial SW just short of the green. My chip goes 6 feet long but I make the putt, par.

 

12 - 308 yard par 4. I hit a nice draw, 151 yards, into the fairway. I can reach the elevated green with my 7i and I hit a good shot but it's a bit left. 142 yards into the back left rough. My chip is poor and 12 feet long.It's a 2 putt bogey.

 

13 - 118 yard, elevated par 3. I hit a high draw with my 9i, 114 yards, to the left side of the green. I'm 30 feet left and above the hole. My birdie putt misses by less than 4 inches on the low side and rolls 9 feet past the hole thanks to the slope... I sink the par putt though!

 

14 - 447 yard par 5 with the pond on the right side. I hit a high draw down the left rough and it lands on the cart path and takes a big bounce. 197 yard shot  into the left rough. The group on this hole waves me through.... I punch my 7i and hit a great shot that goes 162 yards and into the fairway short of the green. A partial 9i should get me on and close to the hole. I chunk it instead... My pitch is well struck by 45 feet short of the hole. I hit the par putt o 1 foot and escape with a bogey.

 

Okay, something non golf related happens on the 14th green and it through my focus off. At least I'm not thinking about golf when I'm going from shot to shot any longer....

 

15 - 258 yard par 4, elevated tee shot to an always soft fairway. I hit a nice high draw down the right side, 156 yards into the rough. It's a partial PW into the green and I'm not focused. I yank a low pull into a greenside bunker. It takes 3 to get out and into the rough. i chip with my putter and send it 8 feet long. 2 putts for a quad.

 

16 - 141 yard par 3, hole is on the right side. I use my 8i and hit a great high fade that is heading towards the hole. 137 yard shot and I'm 3 feet to the right of the hole.... Birdie putt misses high, par. Oh well, i was thinking birdie after that great shot but no dice.

 

17 - 354 yard par 4. I hit a very good high draw, 155 yards intoi the middle of the fairway. I then hit a great punch, 157 yards to  just short of the green on the right side. I'm pitching over a bunker and drop the ball into it instead... I manage to get out in 1 and to 5 feet. it's a 2 putt double bogey.

 

18 - 494 yard par 5 with a stream and pond to deal with. My 7i tee shot is a high push fade into the right trees. No sign of the ball and it's a hazard, so I drop 130 yards from the tees in the right rough. I hit a punch with my 7i, 160 yards, into the left rough down by the stream. I am hitting my 7i across the stream and top it into the stream... I recover my ball and drop just short of the stream.  It looks like i can reach the green with my 7i from here... I go for it and it's a high push fade, over the stream and pond, 130 yards onto the front of the green. The ball is front right and the hole is back left. it's a 42 foot putt, up a tier, and I leave it 6 feet short. A three putt quad to end the day.

 

Not a good score and I blew up too many times. The 7i tee shots were not as good as Saturday but it only cost me on #18. I did get very lucky on #10 because I didn't expect to find that ball. it went into the area my high push fade with the 4w goes but the difference is it was dropping down into the trees and the 4w is still moving deeper into them.

 

I felt rushed on some of the blow up holes and that's on me. Also I wasn't focused after #14. It had nothing to do with golf but life happens. I did hit some great shots and had a good time out there. I'll type more later about the 7i experiment because I don't want it to get lost in the round synopsis.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 4

bogeys: 8

double bogeys: 2

triple+: 4

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 153 yards, all with 7i

Longest drive: 197 yards, cart path assist

Fairways: 8/14

GIR: 2/18

Avg Approach: 110 yards

Up & down: 3/13

Putts: 34

 

 

[bortass]

The 7i experiment has been a success so far IMO. I had 197 strokes in the last 2 rounds with 77 putts. I hit my 7i for 59 shots, not including some chips here and there. I used it a lot, which is what I thought would happen. I'm not sure how it fits into what @berndgeurts was thinking it would show but here are my thoughts. Only the first item below is in numerical order of importance, so don't read anything into the order outside of that.

 

1. It's a lot of fun. It's a challenge because of my length but it's also very freeing. I really didn't have many decisions to make about what club to hit. It was pretty much always 7i. I didn't even bother looking at the GPS unless I was close to 150ish out or wanted to know how far a carry over water was/how far trouble was since I'd be laying up on most holes. I will say it felt odd at times being on a tee box with an iron in my hands with other people waiting for me to hit as they let me play through. I didn't feel any score pressure at all because I'm not expecting to go low with a 140-150 yard tee shot.
2. I felt good with the 7i in my hands. It started out kind of slow Saturday when I hit a push fade into the right rough with my first shot of the day but I still managed a bogey on a hole where I expect to make bogey. I rarely can reach that green in 2, though it's more likely from the forward tees with my driver. I used that club a lot and hit some great shots and some not so great shots. The average shot was perfectly fine and either a nice draw or slight fade. 
3. I never felt that the 7i off the tee held me back. The reality is even at 5500 yards, the shorter tees still meant I was not going to get many real shots at GIR. However my scores are about the same. I left shots on the course that had nothing to do with my 7i. I estimate I had 7 shots in just putting and short game that I lost Saturday, toss in a couple topped shots and maybe I could have shot in the 88-89 range. Sunday, I count about 16 lost shots where I chunked/topped a ball or needed 3 shots to get out of a bunker , or chipped and putted very poorly, etc. That doesn't include the lost shot for the ball into the right trees on 18 either. I know i also got lucky and prevented blowups with some great shots like the pitch on #3 or the partial AW on #10;.
4. I didn't have many pars but seemed to play fair amount of bogey golf, which is what I expected. the doubles and blowups were still there though.
5. I hit irons a lot, obviously. It was like I was practicing my 7i iron swing on the course. I hit some real nice shots with my 8 and 9i as well and I think all the time with just an iron swing both days helped. I was not bouncing around between driver, then a wood, maybe an iron etc.
6. I can play the following holes, from the white tees, and reach in 2 using just a 7i. #4, #12, and #15. Most holes have a negligible distance improvement with the forward tees but there is a noted difference on a couple par 5s and a couple of par 4s. So if a 7i off the tee on those holes means I have a 7i or less into the green for GIR, I don't need to hit driver. Yes I know SG says closer is better but if my driver isn't behaving, should i risk it?
7. I can reach the 18th green over both the stream and pond with a 7i if I am close to the edge of the stream. That's not a shot I have to hit with just a 7w. This may open up some more options for me. Worse case is if I put a ball in the stream, I can drop and likely hit the green with a decent 7i shot. Maybe I can be a bit more aggressive on this hole because if my second shot is wet and i drop. I'm trying to hit the green with a 7i with my 4th shot. The conservative play down the left side with layups has me trying to reach the green in 4 with either a 9i or partial wedge.
8. I can't play the whites with just a 7i. I'll add at least 4 strokes just because of the holes that are longer. 
9. I can't do this with the guys on Saturday. It's a skins game.

 

I think I will keep at this and maybe I'll try the 6i at some point. I saw enough good things my last two rounds to make me believe this will help me in the long run. Too bad I'm stubborn because I was told to do this back in 2010 or so and I don't think I ever tried it...

Edited February 7, 2022 by bortass

[berndgeurts]

23 minutes ago, bortass said:

The 7i experiment has been a success so far IMO. I had 197 strokes in the last 2 rounds with 77 putts. I hit my 7i for 59 shots, not including some chips here and there. I used it a lot, which is what I thought would happen. I'm not sure how it fits into what @berndgeurts was thinking it would show but here are my thoughts. Only the first item below is in numerical order of importance, so don't read anything into the order outside of that.

 

1. It's a lot of fun. It's a challenge because of my length but it's also very freeing. I really didn't have many decisions to make about what club to hit. It was pretty much always 7i. I didn't even bother looking at the GPS unless I was close to 150ish out or wanted to know how far a carry over water was/how far trouble was since I'd be laying up on most holes. I will say it felt odd at times being on a tee box with an iron in my hands with other people waiting for me to hit as they let me play through. I didn't feel any score pressure at all because I'm not expecting to go low with a 140-150 yard tee shot.
2. I felt good with the 7i in my hands. It started out kind of slow Saturday when I hit a push fade into the right rough with my first shot of the day but I still managed a bogey on a hole where I expect to make bogey. I rarely can reach that green in 2, though it's more likely from the forward tees with my driver. I used that club a lot and hit some great shots and some not so great shots. The average shot was perfectly fine and either a nice draw or slight fade. 
3. I never felt that the 7i off the tee held me back. The reality is even at 5500 yards, the shorter tees still meant I was not going to get many real shots at GIR. However my scores are about the same. I left shots on the course that had nothing to do with my 7i. I estimate I had 7 shots in just putting and short game that I lost Saturday, toss in a couple topped shots and maybe I could have shot in the 88-89 range. Sunday, I count about 16 lost shots where I chunked/topped a ball or needed 3 shots to get out of a bunker , or chipped and putted very poorly, etc. That doesn't include the lost shot for the ball into the right trees on 18 either. I know i also got lucky and prevented blowups with some great shots like the pitch on #3 or the partial AW on #10;.
4. I didn't have many pars but seemed to play fair amount of bogey golf, which is what I expected. the doubles and blowups were still there though.
5. I hit irons a lot, obviously. It was like I was practicing my 7i iron swing on the course. I hit some real nice shots with my 8 and 9i as well and I think all the time with just an iron swing both days helped. I was bouncing around between driver, then a wood, maybe an iron etc.
6. I can play the following holes, from the white tees, and reach in 2 using just a 7i. #4, #12, and #15. Most holes have a negligible distance improvement with the forward tees but there is a noted difference on a couple par 5s and a couple of par 4s. So if a 7i off the tee on those holes means I have a 7i or less into the green for GIR, I don't need to hit driver. Yes I know SG says closer is better but if my driver isn't behaving, should i risk it?
7. I can reach the 18th green over both the stream and pond with a 7i if I am close to the edge of the stream. That's not a shot I have to hit with just a 7w. This may open up some more options for me. Worse case is if I put a ball in the stream, I can drop and likely hit the green with a decent 7i shot. Maybe I can be a bit more aggressive on this hole because if my second shot is wet and i drop. I'm trying to hit the green with a 7i with my 4th shot. The conservative play down the left side with layups has me trying to reach the green in 4 with either a 9i or partial wedge.
8. I can't play the whites with just a 7i. I'll add at least 4 strokes just because of the holes that are longer. 
9. I can't do this with the guys on Saturday. It's a skins game.

 

I think I will keep at this and maybe I'll try the 6i at some point. I saw enough good things my last two rounds to make me believe this will help me in the long run. Too bad I'm stubborn because I was told to do this back in 2010 or so and I don't think I ever tried it...

It's amazing to see how much you learnt about your game and your course. This is even more than I expected. I thought you would cancel out the big misses and get insight in different strategies, but you learnt so much more.

 

Now I'm going to play my course with an i7 too, just for the fun of it.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

What's the strategy for a par 3 that can't be reached with 7i under this experiment? 

 

Assume, for example, that it's a par 3 without trouble short. Not something where you have a forced carry over water or a bunker fronting the green sort of hole... 

 

Do you still lay up with 7i, or do you hit your normal iron on that hole?

[bortass]

1 hour ago, berndgeurts said:

It's amazing to see how much you learnt about your game and your course. This is even more than I expected. I thought you would cancel out the big misses and get insight in different strategies, but you learnt so much more.

 

Now I'm going to play my course with an i7 too, just for the fun of it.

 

 

The biggest thing was sticking with it and keeping an open mind. Saturday starts out with me hitting my first 7i tee short poorly. So I'm already thinking what the heck but I get a bogey which is what I normally am playing for on that hole.  Double bogey on #2 because my 9i doesn't reach the green thanks to a slight mishit and the weather. I blow up with a triple bogey on #3 but it was two topped irons from a very soft fairway i was sinking into along with missing a 3 foot putt.

 

I get a double on #4. Mishit 7i off the tee that I bladed 110 yards. I then punched my 9i 131 yards. My pitch goes into a bunker on the other side of the green. A bunker shot and chip gets me to 2 feet and I have my 6.

 

I then par #5 which is a hole I struggle with and just stuck with it the rest of the way. I ended that round with a 97 and I know I could have done better even if I left the tops in place. I had trouble with pitches and partial wedges for example.

 

As I stuck with it, I just started to make general observations. On #7 my tee shot, both days, was where my driver tends to go into the right trees when I hit that high weak push fade OOB. On #10 Saturday it was the same thing. Sunday I hit the 7i into the right trees but actually found it for a change. Now on a good drive I'd be 70+ yards closer to the hole each time but whatever.

 

The score was pretty agnostic. The additional strokes that the 7i entailed offset my miscues with driver/4w. I am more likely to get a par using driver off the tee than 7i but the cost of a mishit is different. I didn't really think about strategy because it's hit a 7i off the tee and then use it again unless something specific said otherwise. i didn't try to leave myself a set yardage into the green. It was just my normal get as close as possible strategy.

 

It also forced me to try something new. The holes where I figured out I can reach with 2 7i shots is not something I would ever have considered because I'm a follower of whack it as close a possible. This alone is eye opening in a way. Being forced to do things differently can be good for learning.

 

I also wonder how good I can get playing this way. I can hit my normal shot and a punch. My punch tends to go further thanks to run out, so if I hit mostly punches off the tee and it's not super soft, can I get closer and have even better shots into the green?

 

1 hour ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

What's the strategy for a par 3 that can't be reached with 7i under this experiment? 

 

Assume, for example, that it's a par 3 without trouble short. Not something where you have a forced carry over water or a bunker fronting the green sort of hole... 

 

Do you still lay up with 7i, or do you hit your normal iron on that hole?

I actually thought about it during my round and I don't know why since I don't have any long par 3s that my 7i won't reach. I would of just hit my 7i to stay in the spirit of things or looked to see if something even shorter made sense. I am pretty confident with a wedge in my hand though unless it's a chip shot. Not Obee level magic confidence but I hit them good to great much more than I hit it horrible. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by bortass

[95124hacker]

It took guts to still tee off with 7i when a group let you play through. If I was in that group, I’d be thinking we made a mistake letting you play through, esp. when they had to wait until after you hit your 2nd shot before they could tee off.

[bortass]

3 minutes ago, 95124hacker said:

It took guts to still tee off with 7i when a group let you play through. If I was in that group, I’d be thinking we made a mistake letting you play through, esp. when they had to wait until after you hit your 2nd shot before they could tee off.

Well the good news was the course wasn't busy. The young guys on #3 tee box were in no hurry. They were leaving the clubhouse to make the turn to 10 as I was walking in after finishing all 18, lol. The groups on 5 and 9 had already teed off and let me through. The guys on 14 were playing their third shots on a par 5.

 

At least I looked the part playing the forward tees. Using an iron and mishitting it a few times with people watching lol. They didn't wait on me after that though. I just looked and it took me 2.5 hours to play 18. So I made good time even with the hiccups.

[SNIPERBBB]

5 hours ago, bortass said:

 

The biggest thing was sticking with it and keeping an open mind. Saturday starts out with me hitting my first 7i tee short poorly. So I'm already thinking what the heck but I get a bogey which is what I normally am playing for on that hole.  Double bogey on #2 because my 9i doesn't reach the green thanks to a slight mishit and the weather. I blow up with a triple bogey on #3 but it was two topped irons from a very soft fairway i was sinking into along with missing a 3 foot putt.

 

I get a double on #4. Mishit 7i off the tee that I bladed 110 yards. I then punched my 9i 131 yards. My pitch goes into a bunker on the other side of the green. A bunker shot and chip gets me to 2 feet and I have my 6.

 

I then par #5 which is a hole I struggle with and just stuck with it the rest of the way. I ended that round with a 97 and I know I could have done better even if I left the tops in place. I had trouble with pitches and partial wedges for example.

 

As I stuck with it, I just started to make general observations. On #7 my tee shot, both days, was where my driver tends to go into the right trees when I hit that high weak push fade OOB. On #10 Saturday it was the same thing. Sunday I hit the 7i into the right trees but actually found it for a change. Now on a good drive I'd be 70+ yards closer to the hole each time but whatever.

 

The score was pretty agnostic. The additional strokes that the 7i entailed offset my miscues with driver/4w. I am more likely to get a par using driver off the tee than 7i but the cost of a mishit is different. I didn't really think about strategy because it's hit a 7i off the tee and then use it again unless something specific said otherwise. i didn't try to leave myself a set yardage into the green. It was just my normal get as close as possible strategy.

 

It also forced me to try something new. The holes where I figured out I can reach with 2 7i shots is not something I would ever have considered because I'm a follower of whack it as close a possible. This alone is eye opening in a way. Being forced to do things differently can be good for learning.

 

I also wonder how good I can get playing this way. I can hit my normal shot and a punch. My punch tends to go further thanks to run out, so if I hit mostly punches off the tee and it's not super soft, can I get closer and have even better shots into the green?

 

I actually thought about it during my round and I don't know why since I don't have any long par 3s that my 7i won't reach. I would of just hit my 7i to stay in the spirit of things or looked to see if something even shorter made sense. I am pretty confident with a wedge in my hand though unless it's a chip shot. Not Obee level magic confidence but I hit them good to great much more than I hit it horrible. 

Punch shot with irons is a nice, controlled shot when you're good with them. When i layup off the tee on certain holes, i prefer a punch/knockdown unless i need to clear trees

[bortass]

15 hours ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Punch shot with irons is a nice, controlled shot when you're good with them. When i layup off the tee on certain holes, i prefer a punch/knockdown unless i need to clear trees

 I find that I'm more accurate with them. It's a shot that doesn't curve wildly off line and can go quite far if course conditions allow.

[bortass]

@berndgeurts I ‘upped the ante’… Kinda, played 18 solo today. 39 degrees (F) and windy, think it hit 46 or so when I was done.

 

I used just irons, so 5i tee shots. Forward tees and I played a scramble the entire round, shot a 79… lol.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by bortass
I screwed up the type of game I played