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

[Chip Duffer]

5 hours ago, bortass said:

  I hope they didn't impact you too badly.  I've only had to deal with a couple of hurricanes over the years since they rarely hit Maine. Atlanta is also safe from them.

 

At the end of the day, I don't care if I hit a fade or a draw, just as long as it's down my target line and I get reasonable distance from it. I may care more someday if I ever get good enough for it to matter. Right now it's just small steps. I was quite happy with my non-par 3 tee shots. Sure a few could have been better but they were all playable which is big.

 

Consistency is also creeping into my game. I'm playing more bogey golf with the blowups messing up the final score. I don't seem to be yo-yoing as much during my rounds. Stringing together decent scores also helps with expectations. What I mean is the more bogey golf I play for stretches of time, the less "special" it is. So mentally, I shouldn't get all excited/nervous about it. It's ho hum if you know what I mean. I'm not saying I think bogey golf is ho hum since it's not but someday it will be.

I agree about the bogey becoming "ho-hum". When that becomes routine so to speak, then the par streaks will begin to creep in. All in all, your game seems to be entering the fall season much healthier than it was early in the year. It's a significant change for the better. 

 

As for the "blow up holes", I myself and I think many of us experience that challenge as the score killer that we all are still trying to eliminate. Two weeks ago for example, I had a nice front side going until I made a dumb choice and ended up with a double on the 8th. Good if not spectacular back side ended with a score crushing triple on 18 that resulted from a nasty snap hook off the tee that I compounded with an errant second shot on a long par 4. What could easily have been a round of 79 or 80 became an 84. My goal is to eliminate, or at the very least minimize the "others" on the card. 

 

Funny memory of a round when I was returning to the game and I realized at the turn that I had all bogeys on the front. Really crazy round because I finished that round with 17 bogeys and a par. It wasn't a great score, but I remember what mattered more was that I was incredibly happy about the consistent scores (even though they were bogeys). I was encouraged and I felt like pars were coming. When they started eventually the birdies began to appear here and there.

 

What a great game! 

 

[berndgeurts]

 Been following this thread again, but haven't commented in a while. It seems like you are back on track. Let's hope that it stays for golf as well as your personal life.

I think the ntc drill and the lessons are the most important factor for the improvement seen in golf. Keep practicing. 

I recently found my swing again and am shooting low 80s again. It was due to practice practice and some more practice. Got rid of swing thoughts and am left with a swing feeling.

Keep on the sunny side !

[bortass]

Saturday was up and down. I played a course that I've only played twice before. Weather was sunny but cool, started the round in the 40s and it was mid 60s by the end. There's some wind but I don't recall which way it was going on the various holes. I warmed up at the range using my GW and 8i, focusing on cast 2 from NTC at the start of my downswing and I'm hitting nice high fades. On the course, I don't use that swing thought until hole 15.

 

1 - par 5 dogleg left, I hit driver off the tee and it's an okay fade  that goes 194 into the fairway on the right side. I hit my 4w and it's another decent shot that goes 189 into the fairway short of the green.  I have 70ish yards to go to a front right flag and I have a brain fart. Arccos is telling me to hit my GW. Okay, partial GW it is. It's a nice draw that lands short of the green, 67 yards. I foirgot the club Arccos recommends is a full swing, lol. I chip with my SW to 5 feet and two putt for a bogey, 6.

 

2 -par 4, dogleg left, elevated green. I hit a high shot down the left side, 189 yards. Flag is mid left towards the front and I hit my 9i nice and high, 120 yards onto the green and 7 feet left of and past the flag. I have another two putts for par, 4.

 

3 - straight par 4, and I hit  a pop up with my driver, 162 yards into the fairway. I'm 180-190ish out and theres a small stream just short of the green. I decide to lay up with my 7i and hit a nice shot 145 yards into the right rough short of the stream. I hit a partial LW 36 yards and about 11 feet from the hole. My par putt ends up 3 inches out, so a bogey, 5.

 

4 - straight par 4, I hit a fade down the right side into a fairway bunker. I think I know how to hit this shot. I take  abit more club, 6i, choke down some and use an armsy swing. Club enters the sand well behind the ball and it goes about two yards. Try again and it's a weak push fade into the right trees, 78 yards... I can't find the ball and it's marked with red stakes, so I drop.  The green is elevated and I can see the top of the flag and that's it. I hit a partial SW, 56 yards and it looks like it should be on. I get up and my ball in inside 18 inches. So I save my double bogey, 6, with an easy putt.

 

Dodged a bullet there.

 

5 - par 3, I hit a low pull with my 6i, 117 yards, into the left rough short of the green. I chip with my SW and leave it 18 feet short, lol. My par putt stops a foot out, so another bogey, 4.

 

6 - par 4, slight curve left and the hole goes gradually uphill. I hit a low pull with driver, 179 into the left rough. I then hit a low pull with my 6i, 137 yards and over the green. it's on a barespot in the fringe and the flag is front right and i'm back left. i decide to chip with my SW and i make decent contact and the ball lands on the green and rolls off the front. So I use my putter from the fringe and get the ball to 3 feet and make the putt for a bogey, 5.

 

7 - par 5, with a lake to deal with. It's a 90* dogleg right with water covering the entire side of the fairway on the green side on the lake. So it's tee shot short of the water and second shot over the lake depending on how frisky you feel, you can carry more water to shorten the hole. I hit my 7w off the tee and it's a dead push OoB. My provisional is an okay draw that goes 166 yards into the fairway. No sign of my first ball... I have a good lie and take a reasonable line with my 4w. It's a low push fade right into the lake.... I drop 75 yards forward and right of where i hit from. The green is 180-190 to center. i wait for it to clear and hit my 4w again. It's a strong push fade into the water short of the green. I'm lying 7 now and pick up and write a big X on the card and a 10 for my likely score.

 

So much for this round....

 

8 - Par 3, uphill green. I hit a weak push fade with my 8i under a tree to the right of the green, 117 yards. I chip with my SW, 22 yards, and 9 feet past the hole. I sink the par putt though, 3.

 

9  - par 4, dogleg right. Lake is right off the tee box and it's just like #7. Water down the entire right side after you carry the lake off the tee.  I hit a low line drive with driver, 175 yards, into the rough, through the fairway. I'm dry at least! Ball is below my feet and I punch a partial 5i, 11 yards, into the fairway short of the green. My SW chip is 9 feet from the hole and I two putt for bogey, 5.

 

Well I played mostly bogey golf for the front 9 but that X(10) on 7 pretty much means my round is for funsies now, lol

 

10 - par 4 dogleg right. This time the lake runs down the right side of the fairway off the tee and the green is across the lake to the right. I hit a strong pull with my 7w into the left trees. I hear it hit a tree but never see the ball. It's open in that area so i look around and no sign of it. I drop and then mishit my 8i into the lake short of the green. So I pick up and take another X(7).

 

11 - shorter par 4, slight curve left. I hit a push with my driver, 190 yards, into the right trees. It's open in there since there are houses on the other side. i find my ball and have a shot at the green but need to punch it. I use my 6i and make great contact and the ball comes out nice and low, lands on the green and rolls into the back left bunker. There is 'real' sand here, so I open my SW and swing. the ball comes out but I'm 30 feet short of the hole. I putt to about two and a half feet and make the next for a bogey, 5.

 

12 - par 5, I hit a nice fade with driver, 213 yards, into the fairway on the right side. I then hit my 5i, 153, into the fairway short of the junk that needs to be carried in front of the green. I'm less than 100 yards out and hit my PW. It's a full swing and I hit a high pull that misses the green to the left. I stub my chip short of the green. So I'm frustrated and hit the ball with my putter 18 feet past the hole. I two putt from there for a double bogey, 7.

 

13 - par 3, I hit a push with my 6i 128 into the rough short of the right front bunker. The green is above my head, so it's a blind shot. I pitch with my SW and it makes it over the bunker. I can't see where it lands or how it behaved but I'm 9 feet past the hole. I two putt for a bogey, 4.

 

14 - fairly straight par 4, the fairway is level and then slopes down as you get closer to the green. I hit a decent drive, 203 yards, into the fairway on the right. I have a level lie and hit 6i. I make a change with this swing, I think about starting my downswing with cast 2 from NTC. I had not been doing that on other shots this round and I use that swing thought on every full shot the rest of the way. I hit a high draw, 147 yards, over the green into the back left bunker. I use my SW with an open face and barely get the ball out. I chip with the putter to 6 feet and two putt for a double bogey, 6.

 

15 - shorter par 4, downhill.  I hit driver and it's a decent shot that goes 202 yards into the fairway. The flag is front and I'm 65 yards or so out. Partial GW time! I don't swing hard enough and leave it short...Blah. I chip to 4 feet and there's a commotion going on. A couple guys 18-20 are flying down the cart path on skateboards. That leads to someone in my group yelling at them to get off the course. So there's some shouting back and forth and I figure I can putt through it. I miss the putt, lol, and end up with a bogey, 5. 

 

16 - par 3, I hit a high fade with my 9i, 114 yards, over the back right of the green. I chip with putter to 3 feet and make the par putt, 3.

 

17 - par 4, you have to carry an area of junk off the tee and the lake is down the entire right side of this hole. The tee box is offset to the left of the fairway, so a long shot can go through the fairway into the lake.I hit driver and it's a high fade that I see bounce in the fairway. I find my ball hung up in the weeds just short of the lake..202 yard shot. I know to not hit driver here next time. I take my medicine and hack the ball back into the fairway with my PW. I have a good lie and aim for the left side of the fairway with my 4w. It's a solid fade that goes  177 yards and stays in the fairway on the right side. I hit a partial GW, 67 yards, over the green into the back fringe. I chip with the putter to 2 feet and sink the putt for a bogey, 6.

 

18 - par 4, pretty straight hole with the lake down the entire right side. I hit a decent draw with driver down the left side, 211 yards. I then hit my 6i and it's a high fade, I think, that goes 143 and lands on the green, 30 feet below the hole. I look over the birdie putt and my putter drags across the green and I come up 7 feet short. No idea what I just did. I hit the par putt 3 feet past the hole and in the end I 4 putt for a double bogey, 6.

 

A fitting end to a round with a number of messed up holes and mishits. 48/49 97 with two Xs. It's a 95 for GHIN.  I made mistakes in all aspects again.

 

The bad - Well a 4 putt from 30 feet on 18 was just stupid. I do not know what came over me. I did not feel frustrated when I walked on that green. So I wasn't just mailing it in. I tried to be safe off the tee on #5 and sent my ball directly OoB off the tee with a straight push into the trees. The GW short on # 15 was very sad. My short game killed me on #12 when it took 4 shots to hole out from maybe 5-7 yards right of the green... The majority of my irons shots were mishits until I started to use cast 2 as a swing thought while playing. I struggled from the bunkers. They were redone this year and have that nice fluffy sand. My home course has the stuff that compacts even when dry. So it's a different technique that i don't really use or can practice.

 

The good - Most drives were decent and playable. Distances were not great but it was cool out and this course has a high water table, so not much roll out. My irons completely changed on #15 when I decided to use cast 2 as a swing thought. I went from lower mishits to the nice high shots that I expect from a well struck iron. I think I'm still hitting mostly fades but it doesn't matter to me. I started to get the height and distance back.

 

What to work on - I'll keep drilling NTC and chipping with my SW.

 

Thoughts - The last time I played this course I shot a 95 on August 15th. I had 5 pars, 4 bogeys, 8 doubles, and a triple then. This time I had 3 pars, 9 bogies, 4 doubles, and 2 blowups. I feel that I played better this time around even though the score is worse because of the two Xs. I turned more doubles into bogeys than I turned pars into bogeys. That seems to tell me that I played more consistent. The Xs are kicks in the teeth but I am thinking they are outliers.

 

Maybe I'm drinking some special kool-aid but I feel better about my game. My index has dropped 5.1 strokes since Feb 2nd, so that's progress. I normally can only post 1 score a week since I play alone the other times, so it doesn't see as much volatility. 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by bortass
spelling

[bortass]

All I can say is LOL.

 

I did well off the tee today except for two holes. The driver was pretty decent including a 255 yard drive. My par 3 tee shots went the right way for a change too. I almost had an ace in 16. I hit a high draw with my 8i that landed behind the flag and took the slope of the tier back to the flag. My ball was just inside a foot of the hole to the right, low side.
 

Short game was murder. I had more chips than usual because I was getting the ball near the greens in regulation. Also had a bunker shot or two from hard pan that cost me.

 

So junk score but I hit the ball solid for the most part. NTC really seems to be working. I didn’t have the weak push fade or any low pulls today. By Arccos’ strokes gained my drive was the best aspect today which is new.

 

Its progress and just funny that my short game got exposed but it’s no surprise. I was confident on the tee, so that’s good.

 

I think I will keep with my current practice plan as well.

Edited October 24, 2020 by bortass

[berndgeurts]

Great progress. Being confident from the tee van make your rounds much easier and more fun! Let's hope this stays. The short game will follow soon.

Edited October 25, 2020 by berndgeurts

[bortass]

My expectation is that as one issue gets better, another will be exposed. It could be a situation where the newly found issue was there but not as important or the new issue wasn't really an issue because that situation did not come up much. My short game issue is a blend of the two. Recently I have had a number of partial wedges into the green because of not hitting the ball well with my full swing. I have been doing pretty decent with those shots. That meant I was not pitching and chipping much, so my issues there were "hidden". I didn't need the shot that often, so it didn't matter that I struggled with them earlier this year. Well it came out on full force Saturday.

 

#3 - par 5, I hit driver 228 into the fairway and then hit my 4w 196 yards into the fairway short of the green. I am inside 50 yards to center in 2. I pitch with my SW and don't swing hard enough and land in a bunker. The ball is on compacted wet dirt, I don't adjust my shot and my SW doesn't dig and makes contact with the ball sending it over the green. So another chip and 1 putt for a bogey 6. I had 3 shots with my SW inside 50 yards and the only decent one was the last chip.

 

#5 - par 5, I get inside 50 yards in three, hit a pop up with 4w off the tee. I chunk the pitch with my SW. Chip with the SW but not quite hard enough so it doesn't reach the upper tier and rolls 20 feet below the hole.

 

Those two holes were a microcosm of my short game issues.

 

My two bad tee shots were on #10 and #12 . On 10 the ball was too far back in my stance and I knew it and swung. result was a push fade into the right trees. 312 I hit a low pull with my 4w into the left slope and it killed my distance. Other than that my tee shots were good.

 

Approach shots were better but not perfect. No pulls or pushes on the par 3s, all my shots were nice and high and solid. I chunked a few irons from the fairway. So still need to work on that.

 

So signs of life, but I am unable to get everything to mesh at once. Slow progress is better than no progress, lol.

[Chip Duffer]

The ballstriking is key to improving scores and you are clearly striking the ball well often enough to be gaining confidence. It was so good to see that you were so pleased with the round because of what you saw the ball doing, rather than just judging by the number on a card that didn't play any part in getting around the course. It is important to recognize quality shots and have the confidence building that recognize how close even the slight mishits are to pure.

 

Congrats on the growth 

[mikpga]

I believe you can do it...

[bortass]

@Twin2LI have a feeling that looking at aspects of my game will be the way things go for a while versus the score card.

 

@mikpgaThanks, I know I can. At least I am very confident that it can be done. I do not think I was at my skill ceiling when I shot the couple of 85s before I quit years ago.

 

 

Winter golf is starting to roll in. It was 45 degrees and windy when I teed off Saturday. It was also cart path only because of the tropical storm that came through here Wednesday. I am not complaining since I spent most of my life in the northeast and I'll still be golfing as the courses up there close til next spring. I was told that last winter was very wet but it's all I know, so it's what I'm assuming will happen again. My expectation is distances are going to drop from both air temps and wet/soft fairways. Scoring is going to get harder but it'll be good experience.

 

I was unable to hit the range last week or play during the week and it showed. Saturday was a disaster. I played the course with all the water. It's a good course with forced water carries in spots. I enjoy the course and have now played it 4 times. My swing was MIA. I started my round quad(no penalties), double(1 penalty) and triple(no penalties). So the round was in the bag, as far as scoring well, out of the gate. I just couldn't seem to string things together. For example, I hit a good drive, over the lake to put me about 100 yards out on a par 4. PW is off the toe and it's a push into the lake...

 

Strokes gained according to Arccos for the round had my short game as +0.4. I somehow got 5 short game shots inside 3 feet. My putting was -4.9, which is normal for me. Driving was -12.0, too many penalties off the tee and lack of distance. The killer was approaches at -16.1, just couldn't hit the ball well with irons and woods off the deck. 

 

My approach remains the same for now. Keep working on NTC and short game. The red flag is my approach game which are par 3 tee shots and every other non tee shot from 50+ yards. 

 

Have a good one!

 

 

 

 

 

[Chip Duffer]

Well it had been a busy few weeks. Glad to check in and see how you’ve been doing. Good chance during winter to really just work with your swing and let the score be what it is. Ballstriking itself becomes the focus and it’s own reward. Funny how just enjoying the ballstriking can surprise you with a good nine or round.

 

Enjoy your journey into winter golf. 

[berndgeurts]

@bortass I'm joining you on your adventure with the NTC drill. Different goal (sub 80), same approach. Lets see where it takes us. 

And no I won't take over your thread 😄😄

[bortass]

@berndgeurts Keep me in the loop on how it goes. NTC  seems to work fairly well for me, and others based on the NTC thread. It's not one size fits all in that NTC may not help everyone. The concepts are simple though and it helps me better understand some moves that I never quite got. I hope you like it as much as I do. How big of a challenge will it be to break 80 for you?

 

@Twin2L I think that's the way it's going to go. I hope you're able to enjoy some winter golf yourself.

 

 

I think there is going to be a bit of a change to this thread. I am open to feedback on my thoughts, as always. This was another week where I was not able to hit the range or play outside of Saturday's 18. I cannot make real progress in this manner. There's no way I can get close to my goal without the required effort.  This is just common sense. My scores are not good and while I would like to think I am making progress, it's extremely slow lately. So I am going to avoid my normal long winded round recaps unless there's something worthy of detail.

 

Saturday was an amusing mess. I was sick most of the week, nothing big just my sinuses aka common cold type of thing. I get to the course and it starts to rain as I get to the range to warm up. The 15% chance of showers stayed with us for the first 10 holes. Gotta love playing in the rain while under the weather.

 

I started off okay with two bogeys. 

 

On #3 (par 5), I get about 50 yards out in 3. Short game falls apart and I end up with a double bogey 7.

 

#4 is a double bogey because I chunk my PW and leave a puitch in a bunker.

 

#5(par 5) is a disaster. Very good tee shot with my 4w into the fairway. I end up with an 11... Issues with 4w off the deck and bunker shots.

 

I bogey #6 and hit a great drive on #7. I have a 9i in my hand and shank it 90* OOB.....Card a triple there and on the par 3 8th hole. 9 is a double bogey since I put my second shot into the pond with a low pulled bladed 4i.

 

#10 is a double bogey since I have to chip out of the trees. On 11, I hit a very good 7w off the tee. Blade my 6i a couple yards short of the stream and then blade a partial SW into the stream. So I card a 9...

 

On 12, I get a double bogey since my 4w tee shot is on the edge of the trees and I have to punch a 7i short of the green.

 

13  par 3 - I hit my 9i to inside 1 foot. Easy birdie and the last time I played this course I put my tees shot on #16 in the same range.

 

14 - par 5, solid drive 230 into the left fairway. A decent 4w goes 181 yards and stays in the fairway on the left. Water right and I have a 6i into the green. It's a high fade that lands on the green pin high, 12 feet from the hole. So I get a par.

 

15 - par 4, push my tee shot into the right trees. I punch an 8i to the right of the green but dub my chip. So I end up with a bogey.

 

16 - par 3, I pull my 6i off the tee. I can't find my ball and drop. I hit the ball on the green and as i am walking down the hill I find my first ball.. Oh well. I two putt for a double bogey.

 

17 - par 4, I hit an okay drive short of the right fairway bunker. I have an uphill lie and launch a very high 4w, 177 yards, onto the green. It looked like an iron shot, lol. I two putt from 21 feet for par.

 

18 - par 5 with lots of water. Decent drive down thre left side. i lay up short of the stream. I have 160ish to center and need toi carry a stream and pond. I grab my 7w and slightly mishit it off the toe. The ball goes 143 yards and lands on the bank shoirt of the green and doesn't roll back into the pond. I get up and down for par.

 

A 57/47, 104 with 6 penalty strokes. Yup, I played horrible but that 47 has a +5 9 on it... What the heck? A bogey there and it's 43. I don't grasp what went on this round. Okay, it's raining until #10 but I had good shots in the rain but also some big clunkers. No idea how I shank a 9i dead right and OoBs. I get to #13 and hit a great shot and played very solid the rest of the way. I don't feel like there was a magic switch that went off in my head. I can't point to anything as a change in what I was doing to turn around those last 6 holes which I played in +2 overall....

 

Arccos says I lost 4.9 strokes driving; 14.5 strokes with approaches(including par 3 tee shots); -7.6 short game and my normal 5 strokes putting. 

 

I would like to say I plan to hit the range this week and work on things but life has not been cooperating of late. My game plan is the same and hopefully I can post some meaningful improvement at some point, some day...

 

[bortass]

Happy Friday! The weather was very nice and I actually made it to the range today. I warmed up with partial GW shots, which happen to also be the drill for cast B from NTC. I then went with my 7i to work on two other drills. The cast A drill, which went well, and the staying closed longer one, which tends to be a struggle for me. I mixed in a few full shots and found that if I don't think about starting my downswing with something, it's not good. If I think of starting my downswing with cast B, I get much better results. I then went back working on cast B with my LW and GW. That helped me practice partial LW shots which I think I need to get under control. I even hit a half dozen 4w shots off the deck and those were pretty good too.

 

Overall I had more good/solid shots than dubs. It was a big difference. I have no idea how things will play out tomorrow on the course since I have been struggling lately. I'm going in feeling good about the range session today, so hopefully that is worth something, lol.

 

Have a good weekend.

[Chip Duffer]

Sounds like a great day! Congrats on your progress and hope your round is as pleasing.

[berndgeurts]

I think sticking with a program and grinding the drills are slowly paying off. Reading your posts, I can see improvement and more confidence. I won't be surprised if a sub 90 round us around the corner these days. Keep up the good work.

[bortass]

@Twin2LThe weather was perfect on Saturday and it was quite nice out. Have you been able to get out to play at all lately?

 

@berndgeurtsIt's interesting and I think I am making slow progress. Check out Monte's Instagram Q&A video if you haven't already. It's the last video in the free set-up series he put out a little while ago. The Q&A is about 90 minutes long and I've watched most of it. There's some interesting stuff in it.

 

Saturday was sunny and it was mid 40s when I left the house and in the high 60s/low 70s by probably noon. It started out cool and damp from all of the dew but warmed up nicely. A great fall day for golf. I warmed up on the range with the NTC cast B drill which is pretty much a half wedge shot. I also hit some full 7i shots. The ball was coming out nicely during my warm up so i felt good when we teed off 1.

 

1 - par 4, an okay drive, 204, into the fairway. The flag is right side behind the bunker and I'm over 200 yards out. I hit  adecent 4w towards the left side of the green and it's a low draw that goes about 166. I hit a partial LW about 40 yards, 9 feet short of the cup and two putt for bogey, 5. I'm fine with bogey since this is the #1 HCP hole on the course.

 

2 - par 3, flag is middle front and i hit my 8i. It's a mishit high pull into the left bunker. I'm a bit short sided and my bunker shot goes about 11 feet past the hole and I two putt for a bogey, 4.

 

3 - par 5, I hit a draw with driver 211 into the left rough by the fairway bunkers. I have a fluffy lie with grass behind the ball and hit my 4w. It's a complete mishit that goes about 54 yards into the fairway. I then top my 4w 52 yards... I'm now 160ish from center and hit my 7w. This time it's a solid draw that ends up in the back left fringe. The flag is on the right and I have to go almost the entire length of the green. I use my putter to chip and leave it 30+ feet short. I go on and three putt for a triple, 8.

 

Well that is not good at all. An okay start and I hose #3

 

4 - par 4, I hit a low pull draw with my driver into the left rough, 187 yards. The flag is forward and I hit my 9i. It's a high push into the right bunker. I get the ball out of the bunker, it almost hits the flag stick, and 6 feet past the hole. I make the putt for my first par of the day, 4.

 

5 - par 5, I hit a very solid draw with my 4w, 187, into the fairway. I hit my 4w off the deck and make good contact. It's a draw that goes into the left slope, which kills the ball, 160 yards. I don't have a level lie and it's 160ish to the green. I decide to lay up with a 9i short of the green. I hit a low punch and it's a push. The ball hits the cart path that runs to the right of the green and bounces it's way up, 148 yards... So much for laying up 40+ yards short....I don't reach the green with my pitch and end up with a double bogey, 7.

 

Well, the two par 5s used to kill me with big numbers when I started playign again earlier this year. I had been doing better but they are back to being a struggle for me.

 

6 - par 4, I hit my driver thin and it goes 169 yards into the fairway on the right. i'm about 200 yards out and hit a decent 4w, 174 yards, short of the green. I pitch to about 12 feet and two putt for bogey, 5.

 

7 - par 4, I hit a pull draw with driver that hits the cart path that runs down the left side. The ball bounces up the path and rolls past the cart girl that's stopped up there. Sigh. 230 yard shot into the left rough. I mishit my 7i, 131 yards, off the toe and miss the green to the right. I pitch to 11 feet and two putt for a bogey, 5.

 

8 - par 3, I hit a thin, high push 118 yards with my 7i into the junk on the right slope. I find my ball and hack it out with my SW just short of the green. I screw up my chip with my putter and send the ball 9 feet past the hole.. So a two ensues for a double bogey, 5.

 

9 - par 4 with water left. I hit a strong push, 240 yards, into the right rough. I don't have a good shot at the green because of some trees. I punch my 9i and it's a bit more right then i want. It goes under the trees and stops in pine straw under a pine tree. I don't make great contact with my partial SW and the ball gets on the green back right. The flag is front left and there's a tier to deal with. I'm about 50 feet out and three putt for a double bogey, 6.

 

Well that wasn't exactly a good front 9...Better than last week though.

 

10 - par 4, I hit a low pull with driver that hits a slope and it kicks right into the fairway, 184 yards. I'm 150ish out and hit my 4i. It's a low push that misses right and is heading down the tree line. it hits a branch and falls. I find my ball and there's some stems in my back swing. I try to pitch to the green and the ball lands short and kicks right, rolling back down the slope I am on. So I advances it 20 yards sideways.. It takes two more pitches to get on the green, 30 feet from the hole and three putts to sole out for a quad 8.

 

Sigh....

 

11 - par 4, with a stream carry short of the green. I hit my normal 7w off this tee and it's a solid draw, 188 yards, into the fairway. The flag is front left and I go with my 8i and aim middle. I hit a high pull... It carries the front corner of the green and my ball is in the rough on the lip of the bunker. So i have to stand with my right foot in the bunker for the chip. I make decent contact but swung too hard and it rolls out 12 feet past the hole. I two putt for a bogey, 5.

 

12 - par 4, I hit a good draw with my 4w, 189 yards, into the fairway. I pull my 9i, 105 yards, and miss the green left. I chip to three feet and the par putt misses... A two putt from 3 feet for bogey, 5...

 

13 -  par 3, I mishit my 8i and it's a high push that misses the green right. I chip to three feet, again, and make the par putt, 3.

 

14 - par 5,  I hit a solid fade, 221, into the fairway on the right. I hit 4w off the deck and it's a push fade that goes 166 yards into the fairway on the right. The lake/pond is on the right and I wanted to be more left than this.  i'm 150ish out and aim left with my 5i to take as much water out of play as possible. I blade the shot and watch it roll down the right edge of the fairway and roll into the pond... I drop and hit a partial PW 90 yards over the green. I chip with my putter to 9 feet and two putt for a triple bogey, 8.

 

Yes, another 8 today. Three down will there be more?

 

15 - par 4, I hit a high push fade with the driver 186 into the right rough. I am on bare dirt. I hit a partial GW that slides under the ball and I come up short of the green. I chip with the putter to 7 feet and two putt for a bogey, 5.

 

16 - par 3, I hit my 7i thin and it's a high draw, 126 yards, that carries the front bunker and lands in the fringe short of the green. I use my putter to chip to 9 feet and make the par putt, 3.

 

17 - par 4, I hit a pull with driver, 211, into the fairway. I'm 120ish out and hit a push with my 8i into the right front bunker. My bunker shot comes out of the bunker and I'm 13 feet from the hole. I hit my putt and watch it curl into the hole for par, 4.

 

18 - par 5, stream and pond to deal with. I hit a push fade with driver, 212, into the riight rough. I'm behind a fairway bunker and decide to try to carry the stream with my 4w. I top it 92 yards, short of the stream. back of the green is 170ish, so I go for it with my 7w. I tp it into the stream 15 yards in front of me. try again, same result. I pick up and card a 9 as most likely score...

 

49/50 for 99.  4 pars, 7 bogeys, 3 doubles, and 4 triple+ blowups. My big issues were all in one area, approach shots, yet again. This is any non tee shot outside 50 yards and all par 3 tee shots. Strokes gained I lost 27 strokes this round. I lost 15.3 strokes on my approach shots, 57% of my lost shots are this one area. I was doing fine on the range when I warmed up but not once I got on the course. No consistency. Some okay irons and decent 4/7 wood shots off the deck but there are too many clunkers that led to penalties. I guess the silver lining is I know where the problem is and it is what I am working on.

 

Driving, which is all par 4 and 5 tee shots, I only lost 2.9 strokes. So I can get off the tee okay, unless it's a par 3. I am keeping the ball in play and my lack of distance is the main knock this round.

 

Short game, I lost 3.8 shots which is kinda normal for me of late. My sand shots were positives and i did have a couple good chips. 

 

Putting, I lost 5 strokes. This also seems to be normal for me. The two putt from 3 feet was pathetic and too many 3 putts but I did make a couple longer putts to help offset things. 

 

I'll just keep working on NTC. I am making progress but it's slow. This entails some major changes to my swing. I also know distances will be dropping thanks to weather and course conditions. So I don't expect any big breakthroughs but I do expect to keep making gains.

 

Have a good one.

[berndgeurts]

Still sounds like an ok round to me.

 

Reading the narrative of your game: factor in lie. In the rough it's hard to hit a 4w, play safe and hit 7i onto the fairway.

As for par 5 holes, cut them up in three easy shots. Drive, 7i, 7i will get you there most of the time. 

 

Great bunker play IMHO. To get it up on the green that often is great play. Dont worry about distance to the flag.

 

Keto up the good work

[bortass]

9 hours ago, berndgeurts said:

Still sounds like an ok round to me.

 

Reading the narrative of your game: factor in lie. In the rough it's hard to hit a 4w, play safe and hit 7i onto the fairway.

As for par 5 holes, cut them up in three easy shots. Drive, 7i, 7i will get you there most of the time. 

 

Great bunker play IMHO. To get it up on the green that often is great play. Dont worry about distance to the flag.

 

Keto up the good work

 

 

The round was mostly okay and it was a great day to be out there. I played solid for a good chunk of the round, not great, but solid. Bogey golf isn't bad, that would put me at 90 for the round. I offset the doubles with the pars, so if I had bogeyed my blow up holes, it's about an 89. 

 

So my blow up this time.

 

#3(+3) - I dubbed two 4w shots, one from the rough, and they both went a total of 106 yards, which is a PW - 9i for me normally. I get in the back left fringe and the flag is front right. My path goes through a section of fringe that juts into the middle back of the green. So if I use my putter, which i did, the path was green, fringe, then green to the hole. I didn't hit it hard enough and the fringe killed it leaving me 30 feet short. I then three putt to add salt to the wound.

 

What I could have done instead - hit an iron out of the rough, even if i only advance it 100 yards with a 7i, I save a stroke. Actually chip the ball with a wedge instead of trying to be 'safe' by using the putter.

 

#10(+4) - I hit a low  push with my 4i that almost goes into the right trees. So this was a miss well right of my target line. I have a blind pitch/chip up to the green, in leaves, with brush catching the shaft in my backswing. I used my SW ands try to get it on the green and fail and it takes me three shots to get on and I three putt from 30 feet. 

 

What I could have done instead - I'm not sure. 7w is too much, so I thought a 4i into the green would be fine but i completely screwed the shot up. I got lucky and found my ball in play outside the hazard line marking the trees and couldn't execute the chip/pitch. it was a hero or zero pitch either. I wasn't dead and needing a miracle. I just didn't execute yet again...

 

 

#14(+3)- I'm in position in 2(par 5) but more right than I would like. I decide on a 5i from 150. the flag is more mid/right behind the lake/pond. I aim left side of the green to reduce my water carry and if I hit a high fade it may work it's way closer to the hole. I top/blade it and it rolls down the right side of the hole and into the lake. I hit a very solid partial PW over the green and chip with putter to 9 feet and two putt.

 

What I could have done - again I'm not sure. I wasn't trying to force a 150 yard carry over water. I had plenty of club and was going left, so the water is not in play much. I completely screw up the shot and it's wet. 

 

#18(+4 picked up) Mishit 4w from the rough while trying to carry a stream(130 yard carry roughly). It stops short of the stream and I have 170ish off the back of the green with a stream and pond carry. A 7w should reach the back of this green and I top ity into the stream right in front of me. Drop and try again with same result and quit playing.

 

What I could have done - My normal play is to lay up short of the stream with an iron for my second shot. My third shot is to the fairway left of the green so the pond is not in play but neither is getting on in regulation. 4th shot should be a wedge into the green. maybe I get lucky and secure a 1 putt par but the odds are I'm looking at a bogey or worse. It's just the nature of the hole.

 

So I think 2 out of 4 could have been avoided with different course management. The other two are execution of shots that shouldn't be risky, so I'm not sure about them.

[bortass]

Sorry for a double post but i'm trying to avoid a wall of text...

 

One area of NTC that I don't understand well is the transition where the goal is to, for a righty, go down and left. @berndgeurts seems to have this part down from what I saw him sharing in the video section of the forum. I found an AMG video yesterday that talks about pressure and I learnt something quite interesting in it. A pro is shifting their pressure left, to the front foot, when the left arm is parallel in the back swing. So they are shifting forward before the back swing is complete. The other interesting thing is the amount of movement forward from left arm parallel, LAP,  in the downswing to impact is pretty small. They have completed most of the weight shift by the time they are LAP in the downswing. An amateur normally has a large shift forward between LAP in the downswing and impact and it's too late.

 

So I got to the range at lunch today and worked on things. I doubt I am doing it 100% correctly but I found if I felt myself tilting left, impact was better. The ball came out straighter and not as many of the pushes to the right I normally see. I seemed to get forward much better. Granted I was just using my 9i for full swings but it looked promising.

 

I also worked on cast B using both my GW and 9i. That went well and I started to monkey around with partial swings using the 9i. I found if I get that left tilt the ball just takes off and I get more distance. If I don't shift as much, the ball is shorter, kinda expected. The positive for me is that both ways yielded good results.

 

Another thing I will have to revisit thanks to @sshadow2 and @berndgeurts is course management. SShadow2 posted a link to a video series on how to break 100. I've watched half of the series and the biggest takeaway is around playing back from the green. So the holes I think I need to look at are #3, #5, and #18.

 

#3 is a shorter par 5. A decent drive for me puts me 250-260 out. So I will normally try to whack my 4w into partial wedge range. I could go 7i/7i or even 7w/PW. Dubbing a 4w 50 yards doesn't help me much. For example #1 is a par 4 and I am normally around 200 yards out off the tee. A mishit 4w, while not great, isn't the end of the world since I should have a 5i or better into the green. that's not the case on #5 where that same mishit still has me over 200 yards out.

 

#5 is a 500 yard par 5 with a serious dogleg right. I already use 4w off the tee since it's a bit narrow. There is no way for a second shot towards the green. It's probably a good 50-70 yards to the corner still. So a second 4w that doesn't have a big fade on it, will probably have me close to 150 out but possibly on a side slope. If you hit a fade to follow the curve of the hole, then you can get inside 120. I'm not sure how to best tackle this hole. It could be an iron past the corner, followed by a layup short of the green and try to pitch/partial wedge on and close enough to make a putt. It takes par off the table IMO but maybe that's what I need to do to avoid a disaster.

 

#18 is a 500 yard par 5 with a forced stream carry and a pond fronting the green. So I have a strategy here. Layup short of the stream in 2. Put my third shot in the fairway left of the green which takes the pond out of play. So this leads to playing for bogey since I'm not going at the green until my 4th shot. I'm a bit more okay with this because I'm avoiding the pond and making the stream carry fairly straight forward. It makes sense to me versus doing the same thing on #5.

 

Any thoughts?

[sshadow2]

@bortass

 

I find that following the strategies in the video easy to apply for any number your trying to break. It may just take a bit more "calculating" on how to achieve your par.

 

My game, as I try to break 90, isn't bogey golf but to make every hole a par 5. This means that actual par 5s, generally, need to be played to actual par. Sometimes I succeed, other times I don't. I'm good with it because I can be under my par on so many other holes. That's my way of thinking about it.

 

I can also shift some of the numbers around. If it really takes me 4 shots into a green on a par 5, why not just make those par 5s, a 6 or 7 on my scorecard? Assuming those holes you mentioned are ranked harder on your course, I think every hole should be played in its own way without comparing it to any other hole. That's just another level of stress you are putting on yourself. A 500+ yarder requires near perfect execution on my part to even reach them in 4. Which leads to this...

 

One thing the videos doesn't address (somewhat) is that even at this level we still need a level of consistency with the clubs we can carry. Generally, my biggest mistake in trying to break 90 involves duffing my wedges from the fairway, or not being aggressive enough with them greenside. Statistically, if I stopped that at least 4x a round, I'd have broken 90 already.

Edited November 17, 2020 by sshadow2

[bortass]

@sshadow2 It's interesting how one can look at the same thing in two different ways and it can change our perception. I'll assume a par 72 course so level 5s and bogey golf are one and the same. Every hole is a par 5 puts mental pressure on the par 5s since as you say those are the ones you want to par. It makes par 3s easier birdie/eagle holes which helps provide a mental boost of satisfaction because you know a 3 or 4 there puts you ahead of the pace. I've used level 5s in the middle of a round just as an easy way to see how I'm doing though I really shouldn't.

 

For me, bogey golf helps set an expectation that I think is realistic for my game. It also has helped me understand and accept that bogey isn't bad. So it's a score i am okay with, even if I'd rather get a par every time. I just need to offset a double with a par. In theory, it also removes some pressure on par 5s. I don't need to par them.

 

It's cool how people can look at the same exact thing with the same goal and have different approaches to it. It's not cookie cutter, only one correct way to do it. It kind of adds to the enjoyment because it means there is so much out there that one can learn and draw from.

 

I'm looking at some dashboard stats in Arccos for my game.  last 10 rounds my scoring average based on par is: par 3 4.1, par 4 5.4, par 5, 7.2. Well that tells me par 5s are an issue for me. My home course has 4, #3 is 9 HCP hole. #5 is 5 HCP hole. #14 is 4 HCP hole. #18 is 2 HCP hole. So I think it's time for me to take a long hard look at how I play these.

 

I already have a solid plan for #18 which means I'm trying to hit the green in 4 on purpose. I just need to stay with it and not try shots that I can make at times but will increase the odds of a pond ball.

 

I think #14 I play straight up, it's 543 yards but elevated tee shot and fairway that slopes down to the hole. It's hard because of water down the right side. My play is to try to stay as left as possible because it's pretty wide. My approach to the green is also to avoid as much water as possible. I've reached this one in 3 a number of times

 

#3 is a shorter par 5. I can get inside 60 yards with a decent drive and 4w off the deck. It's hard for me to pass that up but maybe I look at iron/iron in. That way a duffed shot is less likely. it's kinda hard for me to give up the extra yardage of the 4w though, lol.

 

#5 has a pretty constant curve right to it with a slope to the left side once you get past the corner. I may need to start looking at breaking this hole down and trying to hit it in 4. I have reached it in 3 but it's not easy.

 

The consistency of clubs is very true. I am struggling with all of my approach shots. Some days my woods are on fire, some times they are not, and most days it's a mixed bag. Irons are always a mixed bag, lol. At least I know the major hole in my game.

 

Cheers.

[SNIPERBBB]

Need to really unmix bag your irons. If you can get at least 80% of your max yardage on all your irons through out the round somewhat  in the direction of the target, your journey will be a lot easier.

Edited November 18, 2020 by SNIPERBBB

[Chip Duffer]

Bortass, as I read what you said about pros moving to the left in the backswing, I read about that too and somewhere I recalled an old Lee Trevino vid where he said something about feeling like the left side was leaning against a doorway and rotating back then through the ball. I've experimented with that on some level and find it very simple and produces the sensation of the left hip and cheek moving toward the target line in the backswing.

 

Reading about your par 5's has me recounting some of our par 5's in this area that I play in varying ways to score. several that have trouble off the tee that also bring water into play 75 yards short of the green are the simplest to play if I leave my ego and the woods in the bag. One in particular calls for anything from a 5 iron (from the senior tees) or a 3 hybrid to lay up short of trouble off the box from the mens (blue) tees. This I follow with a 6 iron (170-180), leaving me 15-20 yards short of the second hazard and about 130-140 to the center of the green. Playing relatively solid iron shots result in mostly stress free pars and the occasional birdie while taking risky play off the table. 

 

There are other par 5's where I can't get there in 2 due to hazards that even though I could hit driver, I'll play 3w, then 3w for control and wedge in. I have learned that there are more par 4's that are very playable with 3w, hybrid or even 5 iron off the box leaving no more than a 6 iron in to the green that take OOB and trees on both sides out of play, resulting in more pars and bogeys, and fewer WTH happened holes. 

 

Seeing my playing partners always with the "big dog" and me hitting 3 wood or hybrid feels a bit awkward sometimes, but when I know a 5 or 6 iron, or even a 3 hybrid or gripped down 3w will get me home keeps me in play and scoring. 

 

As I read berndgeurts "driver, 7 iron, 7 iron" it reminded me of a hole that just gave me fits. It is only 325 yards, elevated tee, small, multi tiered false front fairway with a hill on the left then a long trap guarding the left edge of the fairway and only 30 paces right it falls off into shrubbery. During a club championship one year, I was not confident off the tee. On this particular hole, i realized, I could hit 7 iron to a good position at the bottom and have 7 iron to the center. I played this way both days and the competitors (friends) who chuckled when I hit the 7 off the tee all commented as I walked off the green both days with a par and 2 of the 3 others walked off with bogeys. Just an example that somewhere in all the visual distractions, something is hidden in plain sight which will suit your swing that day or even long term. What seemed like a struggle to overcome a weakness turned to a strength when I was using clubs I could count on.

 

Bortass, I did manage a round Sunday. We had a wicked little storm with sideways rain and very high winds pass through early, but by our 8:00 tee time the course was damp but very playable with sustained winds. The day got better by the minute and because of the early weather, the range was not open, so off to the first tee we headed. I started par, double, bogey, double. I figured this is going to one of those days where I'm striking the ball ok, but making one stupid choice or mishit and slaughtering the card. I followed that up with a 42' birdie putt after a 180 yard approach, then a 8' birdie putt on a 525 yard par 5, then par for 7, 8 and 9 to card a 39. Wow, what a round it was shaping up to be. On the back I carded easy bogeys on all but 12 and 17 which I made par on. With the 43 on the back, I was very pleased with the 82 as I hadn't played much over the past couple of months and I was still learning the new irons and threw a new ball in the mix because I'm not too bright.

 

I doubt the irons are going to stick, but I'm liking my ball striking and proximity to the green even though I have not figured out the numbers I get with these irons. As for my putter, I've been on a hot streak reminiscent of my better days and had 28 putts Sunday and 2 weeks ago had 27. (11 on the front). I'm making more putts inside 12' than ever and feel like if I can see the line I have a chance to hole the putt. Thanks for asking

 

 

[bortass]

16 hours ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Need to really unmix bag your irons. If you can get at least 80% of your max yardage on all your irons through out the round somewhat  in the direction of the target, your journey will be a lot easier.

Yup, I agree. I decided to look at Arccos for my clubs and it's kind of interesting, not in a good way.... 

 

I use my 6i and 7i about the same amount. 59 shots with my 6i and 56 with the 7i. Keep in mind I swapped out my irons this summer, so the usage numbers are not very high.  The main difference in my 6 and 7 irons is where I use them. I will use the 7i on a couple par 3s. The 6i almost never gets used on a par 3, so it's a shot from the fairway. Arrcos has me hitting my 7i 140 yards and the 6i 135...

 

Below is my current numbers. My wedges, including the PW are almost all partial shots. I can't recall the last time that I tried to full shot with the GW or SW. My woods have usable gaps, as do the 7, 8, and 9i. It looks like the area from 140 - 170 is a wasteland though. Too many mishits from the fairway with them.

 

 

 

I mentioned the fairways for a reason. Based on the last 10 rounds compared to scratch, I am currently losing 13.1 strokes on approaches. 7.1 of those are from the fairway. 2.4 are par 3 tee shots, 3.3 are from the rough, and 0.4 from sand. Luckily I rarely hit into fairway bunkers since i do not have a shot out of there... I tend to be conservative from the rough, though I have been a bit aggressive at times to my detriment.

 

So I just keep working on NTC and revisit some course management.  I seem to struggle with my mid irons and my woods from the fairway can be a mixed bag at times too.

 

[Myherobobhope]

That's interesting data... I know you talk about the 7 iron being hit off the tee more, but it's still pretty much 15 yards longer than the 8 iron... to me, that means you should be hitting the 6 iron 155, 5 iron 170 and not be hitting a 4 iron... I think if you can get your distances with your irons through 5 consistent and to those numbers, it will help greatly... I think you also have the speed to hit the driver further, just need to gain some confidence in it...

 

Hopefully you can continue to gain confidence in your irons and swing... it's a big difference when you stand over the ball and "know" you are going to hit it well... Hope all is well otherwise!

[bortass]

Well I lost my typed reply when my router decided the internet doesn't exist any more.....

 

@Twin2L I'm glad to read you got out and had a good round. Someday I'll join you with an 82, lol. I like reading about the experience of others, there's always something to be learned from it.

 

You're brave to try a new ball! I have used the same ball(s) since about 2008. TopFlite Gamers until about 2011 or so. I switched to Noodles because I could get them in the pro shop at a good price and could use shop credit from league and tourneys. I used up the last of the Noodles that I still had when I quit in 2013, earlier this year. I went back to TopFlie Gamer Urethane since they were so cheap since they are discontinued. I'm down to my last few sleeves and will be using the current TopFlite Gamer model shortly. I've never understood the guys that just play whatever ball they happen to pull from their bag/find on the course. I like using the same ball so I know how it behaves around the green. I'm not that anal retentive but this is one area that I try to stay consistent.

 

That was good course management where you used the 7i on that short par 4 during the club championship. I have three holes that I don't use driver on currently.  #5 I use a 4w since it's narrow. You don't need to hit much of a pull to end up in the left trees and losing the ball too far right puts you in a spot with no good second shot. I'd like to use driver for the extra yardage but I'm not comfortable with that yet. #11 I use a 7w since it's a 90* dogleg left and anything longer brings fairway bunkers that are through the fairway at the corner into play and going over those puts you into the trees and there's no shot at the green from there. #12, another 90* dogleg left, I use 4w because I'm worried if i hit a very solid driver, in the summer, I may go through the fairway into the trees. The landing area is wide enough but my 4w will clear the corner on a decent or better shot.

 

I have used a 4/5i on a shorter par 4 but I went back to driver once I got it back under control. The extra yardage is worth it and it takes a serious pull draw/hook or a big slice to really get into trouble on this hole.

[bortass]

50 minutes ago, Myherobobhope said:

That's interesting data... I know you talk about the 7 iron being hit off the tee more, but it's still pretty much 15 yards longer than the 8 iron... to me, that means you should be hitting the 6 iron 155, 5 iron 170 and not be hitting a 4 iron... I think if you can get your distances with your irons through 5 consistent and to those numbers, it will help greatly... I think you also have the speed to hit the driver further, just need to gain some confidence in it...

 

Hopefully you can continue to gain confidence in your irons and swing... it's a big difference when you stand over the ball and "know" you are going to hit it well... Hope all is well otherwise!

 

It's good to hear from you! Hope you're feeling better and are swinging a club again.

 

My home course has 4 par 3s. #2 is level, 142 yards on the card, and I almost always use a 7i on it. #8 is a very elevated tee shot, 160 yards on the card, and I use my 7i unless it's a front flag, so I hit my 7i further on this hole than normal. #13 is slightly uphill, 123 yards, and I'll hit 8i normally. #16 is slightly uphill, 147 yards on the card, and I will use 7i unless the flag is middle back where I'll hit my 6i.

 

I think #8 may skew my numbers a bit since I'm gaining a bit of distance from the elevation. The par 3s are important since I have a perfect lie since I'm hitting off a tee. AT least that's my thinking as to why the 7i is better than my 6i...

 

Something Arccos does is it uses analytics/AI on the numbers it gets. I have no clue what the algorithms are or how it works. That 140 yards does not take every shot with my 7i into account. They weed out shots and do not use them to determine your yardages. Supposedly it's done to remove chip outs, mishits, and shots of your life from the mix. I can look at the app and see what shots it's using and discarding from it's yardages. I hit my 7i 3 times Saturday. #7 131 yards that missed the green to the right, it is using that. #8 118 yard pull into the side of a hill is not being used. #16 high shot, into the wind, that went 126 yards, is also not being used. The range it things I can use my 7i for is 129 - 150 yards.

 

I mentioned swapping irons out because I have a very small sample size. Arrcos has 362 driver shots and 212 4w shots to build it's numbers for those clubs. My 5i has 19.... 4i and 9i are 30 each. 39 with the 8i and then 56 with 7i and 59 with the 6i. I really need to just keep playing and let it build up it's dataset for these irons.

 

Take my blades that I was using from January until I swapped them out late summer. Here are the yardage gaps:

4i 159 - 63 recorded shots

5i 153 - 82 recorded shots

6i 143 - 45 recorded shots

7i 132 - 112 recorded shots

8i 120 - 55 recorded shots

9i 102 - 38 recorded shots

PW 90 - 82 recorded shots

 

A bit more consistent overall but also a better sample size.

[Myherobobhope]

Back is better, but my first nine put me back on the DL... so I'm taking it easy now that winter has rolled in... I've been trying to get more exercise and hopefully strengthen the core to help the back recover... we shall see!

 

I remain convinced you need to get rid of the 4 iron 🙂

 

On the rest of the distance front, it does look like your data is alot more consistent, so it's definitely worth waiting until you have enough data to make informed decisions. 

 

Just keep playing and practicing and make sure whatever data you have is actionable and you have a plan towards improvement... Have we talked about block vs random practice? Adam Young talks about it a bit... it's a good concept and something I've been working on... it's also in "Your Short Game Solution" by Sieckmann, which has become my new short game bible as I can still hit chip shots around the green.

[bortass]

@Myherobobhope Sorry to hear that your back isn't all the way there yet. Hoping you have a speedy recovery.

 

We'll see if I even get decent distances, lol. It'll be fun at least.

 

I got in a quick 9 late this afternoon. Took 76 minutes to play it but I never felt like I was rushing. Sunny, low 60s and the sun was setting, so temps dropped as I played. No real wind that i could tell and the course is dry. Greens are firm and running fast too.

 

1 - par 4, I hit driver and it's a mid height draw, 223, into the fairway on the left. I'm about 190 from center and go with my 4w. It's a high push draw, 156 yards, that lands to the right of the right green side bunker. I have to chip over the bunker and this is where I discover firm greens. I make good contact and it's a high chip that lands short of the flag and rolls 26 feet past it. I get the par putt to a foot and come away with a bogey, 5.

 

2 - par 3, I hit my 7i and it's a high push off the toe that goes 121 yards and misses the green right. The green is elevated and the hole is front right. I hit my chip and come up 9 feet short of the hole this time. I look over my putt and send it 6 feet past the cup! I miss the come backer and 3 putt for a double bogey, 5. Sigh.

 

3 - par 5, I hit a low draw, 191 yards, into the left side of the fairway. I'm 280ish out and hit my 4w. It's a decent draw that goes 192 yards. The flag is on the right side behind a bunker. I'm 90ish from center and hit a partial PW. It's a bit low but carries the bunker and lands on the green. I'm in the back fringe about 27 feet from the cup. I use my putter for the chip and get it to 2 feet. I make the par putt, 5.

 

4 - shorter par 4, I hit a low fade with my driver, 199, into the middle left of the fairway. The flag is back and I'm about 100 yards from center. I could hit 9i and try to get it close but long is bad. I hit my PW instead since if i'm on the green below the hole I have easier putts. It comes out a bit low but lands on the green, 98 yards. I'm 24 feet below and right of the cup. I get my putt to 2 feet and make another par, 4!

 

5 - par 5, and I'm feeling nervous. I hit my normal 4w off the tee and it's a very high draw, 178, into the fairway. i have a good lie and hit 4w again. it's another draw, just lower, that goes 181 just into the left rough near the 150 marker. The ball is below my feet and I have that weird downhill/sidehill lie. Front right of the green is 130ish from me and i fire i'll hit my 7i. I don't stay down like I know i need to with the ball below my feet and top it...It runs out about 52 yards more right than I wanted. I now have a tree between me and the green and I'm 60-70 out. Partial wedges are out because it'll clip branches. I try something different and hit a partial punch with my 5i. It comes out good but way too hard. The ball lands near the green and rolls into the back bunker. No bueno. The flag is back right and I'm mid back. The tier is not far from the hole. I hit my bunker shot onto the green and it releases all the way off the front of the green. I use my putter and blow the ball 9 feet past the hole. I look it over and tap the ball. it rolls true and into the cup to "save" a double bogey 7.

 

6 - par 4, I hit a high push fade with driver that looks like it my be OoB. I hit a provisional and it's the same way... I find both in play, my first ball is 171 off the tee. I have not shot to the green from this distance and there's a tree in my way. I try to punch a 5i and it hits a branch real solid. I find my ball under said tree, I advanced it 31 yards. I top a partial 7i punch 82 yards into the fairway. It's ugly but I'm fine with this result. I hit my 9i a touch thin and onto the green, 107 yards. I'm 21 feet right and past the hole. My bogey putt stops a foot short. So I end up with another double bogey, 6.

 

The last two holes are not what I want at all.

 

7 - par 4, elevated tee shot. I hit a nice true fade, 226 yards into the middle right of the fairway. I hit my 8i, 118 yards, onto the green. I'm 35 feet to the left and below the hole which is back right. I hit my putt and it stops about 2.5 feet short. Easy par! And I miss... 3 putt bogey, 5.

 

Not happy with this at all. The number is okay but the how is not.

 

8 - par 3, elevated tee shot. I hit my 7i and it's a high true draw, off the toes, that goes 128 yards and lands on the front of the green. I'm 41 feet below the hole and leave the birdie putt 2.5 - 3 feet short. I miss again! So bogey 4.

 

I'm just shaking my head to myself now.

 

9 - par 4 with the pond. i hit a low true draw with driver, 195 into the right side of the fairway. I'm 150 from center and the flag is on the right side. I don't feel brave and decide to layup down the right side with a partial punched 5i. I swing and make perfect contact based on sound and flight. It's a very low draw down the right side that lands near the green. I get there and my ball is on the back right of the green. I'm 35 feet above the hole with a tier to go down. I hit my putt and I miss high and 3 feet out. Here we go again...But no, I make the par putt this time!

 

A 45! Sure I left some shots on the course with the bad putting that cost me two pars. However I have not been playing great lately. I will so take this score and be very happy about it. Arccos has me at -9 strokes gained this round. -2.2 driving, -3.5 approaches, -0.8 short game, and -2.6 putting. this is the first time in a while my approaches haven't been terrible in relationship to everything else. I played pretty steady in all aspects of my game.

 

So my swing, I found myself getting my weight left during the back swing on a number of shots and it became more pronounced as the round went on. I'm still not there by any means and have much more time to put into it but the results were there today. Not as many mishits to ruin my round and no blow ups. Progress!

[acekun]

Nice round!

 

I skimmed some of your recaps. Just my 2 cents, but on par 5s, unless you're trying to avoid hazards, I think you need to get as close as you can your first two shots. I wouldn't strategize to get there in 4 shots. That brings double bogey into play more often. 

 

The par 5s is where you should be shooting closest to par. It looks like your driver is just as good as any other club -- I would hit that as much as possible. I don't think teeing off with 4W on par 5 is that great -- you're giving up 40 yards right off the bat. If you hit it well. You don't have the length to make that up easily. Your goal should be to get as close as you can with your first two shots. 

 

And on your 2nd shot, I would hit whatever is the longest club that is most consistent. Either smooth 4W or 7W -- like you're just trying to hit it 150 yards. Don't need to kill it because you won't get there anyways.