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

[bortass]

4 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

I'd say your play from deep rough was a mental error, the play with the 4w was taking a more aggressive approach which isn't bad since you typically hit your 4w well. 

 

The question on 5 would be... If you swung your 7i as hard as you can, could you have even made that shot? Based on what you say about the lie, I'd say the odds were 0 out of 10. But let's say that you can make that shot 2 out of 10 times? 3 out of 10? You still shouldn't be attempting it. 

 

In that case you need to take your medicine--which is the 90* shot and potentially STILL hitting the ball about 2x as hard as you think you need to. 

 

I don't deal with rough like that much out here. But I recall being a caddie at a links course when I was 13 and the rough was ankle depth. If you could find your ball (no easy task) the only way out was the 90* shot with a pitching wedge, hit the ball as hard as you #$!*^&@ can, and hope it even makes it back to the fairway. 

That's the consensus I'm coming to.  I know rough is an issue and still get a good case of the dumbs at times. First cut isn't so bad depending on lie and if it's wet. The long stuff that can hide a ball? Forget it even if it's semi sitting up, I gotta take a wedge and bail but that's been a tough lesson to make stick. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

22 minutes ago, bortass said:

That's the consensus I'm coming to.  I know rough is an issue and still get a good case of the dumbs at times. First cut isn't so bad depending on lie and if it's wet. The long stuff that can hide a ball? Forget it even if it's semi sitting up, I gotta take a wedge and bail but that's been a tough lesson to make stick. 

 

Yeah, and mentally we just have trouble accepting what it will do to a shot. When it's heavy it takes a LOT more off than we want to estimate. 

 

When I shot that 85 at Rancho San Joaquin I had one where I had to hit about 115 over water to the green, third shot on a par 5, and my ball had settled in heavy rough near a pond. I immediately knew I had to club up and hit it hard--so I did--and still came up 10 yards short of the green just BARELY clearing the water. I probably should have taken 2-3 clubs more than my stock 115 yardage, not 1, or played away from the water and just planned to pitch up to the green. I got lucky and cleared it, but I still made a course management error not taking enough club. 

 

That single lucky break on a mistake allowed me to get up and down to save par, and likely would have been double if I'd gotten wet and had to drop behind the water and pitch up. IMHO it's the best score I ever shot, and to get 85 instead of 87 I had to get a lucky break on a bad decision. (I'm sure if I went over the entire round, there was more than one of those too lol). 

 

I really try to be smart about my on-course decisions, because I know I'm bad enough physically swinging the club that I shouldn't let my brain screw me up too lol. But we all have these... Just got to stay mindful and vigilant that while pulling off the hero shot might take a stroke off your score, screwing up the hero shot might add 2-3. Unless you can pull it off 60-70% of the time or more, the math is not in your favor on that one. 

[b_f_c_99]

Been following your thread for a while now,  I enjoy the very detailed recaps of your rounds but at the same time I wonder if the  memory and writing down all the terrible shots is somehow self fulfilling more of them.

 

What I simply cannot grasp is your ability to hit some solid drives and some pretty good wedge play, yet you have multiple,e times every round where you chunk, thin, top, and hit all manner of terrible shots.  There simply has to be a cause for this massive inconsistency.  
 

I don’t know how difficult the course is, but the length your playing you should be able to hit two soft seven irons and a wedge of some sort for whatever is left and be on every green in one over regulation.  Hell you should be able to make few pars that way and never take more than a bogey.

 

Im not bashing or criticizing, just genuinely confused.

[bortass]

13 hours ago, b_f_c_99 said:

Been following your thread for a while now,  I enjoy the very detailed recaps of your rounds but at the same time I wonder if the  memory and writing down all the terrible shots is somehow self fulfilling more of them.

 

What I simply cannot grasp is your ability to hit some solid drives and some pretty good wedge play, yet you have multiple,e times every round where you chunk, thin, top, and hit all manner of terrible shots.  There simply has to be a cause for this massive inconsistency.  
 

I don’t know how difficult the course is, but the length your playing you should be able to hit two soft seven irons and a wedge of some sort for whatever is left and be on every green in one over regulation.  Hell you should be able to make few pars that way and never take more than a bogey.

 

Im not bashing or criticizing, just genuinely confused.

No worries, I didn't take it as bashing or criticism!

 

The course is 5963 yards, rating of 68.9, slope of 126. It's a figure 8 with only two holes, 1 and 9, that run side by side. It's OOB or a hazard on both left and right on all other holes. There's a forced carry on only 3 holes though, 11, 16, and 18 all have to carry a stream. The ponds are in play on 9, 14, and 18 but you do not need to hit over them.

 

Technology has made writing  the recaps much easier. All I track on my card is score, penalties, putting distances, and number of chips and putts. Arccos does all the rest. It's when I sit down to type it up that I try to recall shot shapes and other relevant information, like I topped it in the rough or hit three shoots in a row into hazards.... It's not easy but I try my best to not think about my round when I'm actually playing. This thread has put some pressure on me in the past because I start to think "I don't want to post about how terrible I'm playing and can't break 100", lol. This is technically my 4th thread writing about trying to get better at golf ( I like to pretend the "trying to break 80" one doesn't exist because it was a failure and I quit the game), so I'm kinda used to tracking my rounds and being in my own head worried about what everyone that reads these may think, lol. That last half is pretty dumb but it exists. 

 

So back to the mental aspect of when I play. I am getting much better of rolling with the round. Don't get me wrong, I get frustrated still. I will drop the occasional f bomb(just to myself and never yell though). I'll make comments to myself when things go astray. I happen to talk to myself, go figure, and it can be good or bad on the course, lol. Sometimes I just laugh because what else can you do? LOL. 

 

Why do I get frustrated? The answer is in part of what you wrote "What I simply cannot grasp is your ability to hit some solid drives and some pretty good wedge play, yet you have multiple,e times every round where you chunk, thin, top, and hit all manner of terrible shots.  There simply has to be a cause for this massive inconsistency."

 

I know what I have the capability to do and when I hit a true dog of a shot like when I couldn't come close to breaking 100, it kinda gets me, lol. Now I'm not basing things on the best I've ever done. I have two drives over 300 yards in my life but my expectation is to hit something near the fairway and 220ish, depending on hole and conditions of course. I feel my on course expectations are fairly decent. A simple partial SW from the fairway with a level lie and I chunk it 30 yards? That's frustrating because I feel that partial wedges are my strong point. I am confident with them.

 

Now to try and answer the question. I think it's multi-faceted but a main driver is I'm not the athletic type. I don't pick physical activities up quickly and I didn't play sports as a kid in school. I conceptually understand what I need to do in a golf swing but I don't grok how to get my body to do it. I try my best to not think about my swing when I play and not being very aware of my body and what it's doing, I'm not sure what I do when I hit it great versus terrible, with some exceptions of course. I'm sure some of it is just my learning process. As I get better at performing more correctly, good stuff happens more often but I have many a clunker still in my system.

 

This is my pattern though. I have always been inconsistent even when I was first breaking 100. I can par any given hole but I can also get a triple or quad on almost any given hole. It's a head scratcher and I know it frustrates the guys I play with because in a skins game, I tend to perform better than someone that plays more even hole to hole relative to their index. My good holes tend to win something and bad ones don't really hurt me. It's actually one reason I want to get my index down. I don't like looking like a sandbagger and luckily enough of the guys in the group I play with have seen my game and how things unfold for me on the course. 

 

The good news is I'm currently playing the best golf of my life and there's plenty more room for improvement!

 

[bortass]

Got out for 18 this morning. There was an unexpected downpour 30 minutes before we were supposed to tee off.  The course was wet as were my clubs. I had to wear rain gloves all round even though we waited for the rain to stop before teeing off.

 

A 47/48, 95, for GHIN. One thing stands out, penalties. I had 9 penalty strokes! Such talent. The fun one was on #3. I hit a high push fade OOB. Hit my S&D shot into the fairway. SW to a foot and I have a bogey with 2 stroke penalty... LOL.

 

#5 - great tee shot into the fairway. Hit a push with my 4w into a hazard. Drop and 7i into another hazard by the green. Triple.

 

#14 - Tee shot OOB and led to triple.

 

#18 - tee shot into right hazard. Drop and my layup 6i is a push into the stream. Drop and blade my 4w into the stream. I just dropped on the far side and finished, carded an 8 which is NDB for me on the hole.

 

I just couldn't get anything going. I did have 5 one putts but 3 three putts, each involved a miss inside 5 feet.... One double chip that led to a par. Almost snagged a birdie when a 55 foot putt lipped out, lol. I chunked my tee shot on two of the par 3s as well.

 

It wasn't all doom and gloom though.

 

#9 - 230 yard drive into the middle of the fairway. Hit my 8i to 15 feet and get a par on one of the toughest holes.

 

#17 - 226 yard drive into the fairway. Hit a pull with my 8i, 138 yards, onto the left side of the green. Lip out a 55 foot putt and get a par on another tough hole.

 

Oh well.....

 

birdies: 0

pars: 5

bogeys: 6

double bogeys: 4

triple+: 3

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 208 yards

Longest drive: 244 yards

Fairways: 8/14

GIR: 4/18

Avg Approach: 105 yards

Up & down: 4/9

Putts: 33

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -11.1 strokes

driving: -5.0, I lost 4 strokes to penalties category.

Approach: -5.9, had 5 penalties here....

Short game: +1.2

Putting: -1.5, not great but much better.

 

[b_f_c_99]

I don’t know if you have ever posted your swing,  and frankly I don’t know if there is much value in having anyone no matter how knowledgeable they are assess your swing without having a live conversation of what you feel or what you think you need or are trying to do.  
 

Your case sounds like what I have seen plenty of in my playing partners.  They have a setup and usually a grip flaw or more precisely they have a mismatch in how they setup vs what they think they should do athletically.  The result is they can hit really good shots when everything  times up nicely giving them the illusion that if they just hit more range balls they can groove it into a repeatable swing.   The reality is they are just good enough athletically to hit it well now and then.   
 

Over the years a couple of them have come to realize that by fixing their setup to match the other parts all the swing thoughts and other crap just go away because suddenly their subconscious isn’t having to try and save the swing from being in a really disadvantaged position.

 

Sadly most of my playing partners are just terribly clueless as to what needs to happen in a good swing.  They are locked in to what feels good to them and whatever tip they saw on YouTube even if it  is the worst advice possible for their swing.

 

I ran into this video one day.  A perfect swing isn’t needed, but you need to understand how the parts mesh together.

 

 

 

[bortass]

 

@b_f_c_99My swing has been posted in the swing video section but it's from back in April or May, so not very current. I do need to take the time to get a current one even if it's just for my own amusement. 

 

I know there are setup flaws that happen. Prime example yesterday was on #11. I setup for my tee shot with 7w and I look and think to myself "the ball is too far forward". What do I do? Swing anyways and hit a very solid pull draw into the left trees. I don't know how many times over the years something hasn't looked or felt right and I still pull the trigger. It's dumb but I have not been able to break the pattern.

 

 

I haven't done a high level look at my game in a while. Here's how I play my home course based on the scorecard feature of Arccos. I'm not sure how many rounds it's actually using, my guess is between 7-10 to generate these numbers. I last pulled this back in April, so it's been 5 months.:

Hole	Par	HCP	Green size (DECADE)	01/12/2022 Gross over par	02/23/2022 Gross over par	04/20/2022 Gross over par	09/21/2022 Gross over par
1	4	1	Big	1.7	1.4	1.2	1.1
2	3	17	Average	1.1	0.7	0.9	0.3
3	5	9	Big	1	1.1	1.4	1.6
4	4	15	Average	1.6	1.1	0.7	0.6
5	5	5	Big	2	1.3	1.8	2.3
6	4	7	Big	1.4	1	0.8	0.8
7	4	11	Average	1	2	2.4	1.8
8	3	13	Small	1.3	1.1	1.1	0.6
9	4	3	Big	1.7	2	2	1.8
10	4	10	Big	2.8	1.1	1	1
11	4	12	Small	1.8	0.7	1	1.9
12	4	14	Big	1.4	1.1	1.3	0.9
13	3	18	Big	1.6	0.6	0.7	0.8
14	5	4	Average	2.8	1.1	1.3	1.9
15	4	16	Big	2	0.7	0.7	-0.1
16	3	8	Big	0.8	1	2	1
17	4	6	Big	1.8	1.7	1.3	1
18	5	2	Big	1.8	1.4	1.7	1.8

 

The big surprise is #15. I have two recent birdies and average under par! I have no idea how long it'll be like that but I'll take it.

 

Overall, improvement since the beginning of the year but with ups and downs. Not unexpected really.

 

Current hot spot is #5. Three things are in play and two are intertwined. Tee shots have been a bit dodgy at times with misses being pulls into the left trees or push fades into the right rough on a side slope. The right rough kills me. I can't advance the ball out of it and I need to stop trying. Pushes with a wood or iron into the right hazard.

 

I'm back up to 6 'caution' holes.

 

#3 is one of two things. Push fade tee shot into right trees or more likely, a mishit 4w second shot. The mishit 4w that hurts is either a solid pull draw into the left hazard or a complete mishit that is weak and goes 45* right and blocks me out.

 

#7 is the tee shot. Push fade is either OOB or I'm in rough on a side slope. Luckily this rough isn't Bermuda and I can get a club on the ball. The approach angle though makes it hard to hit the green. A decent to well struck drive will have me using a 9i or less to hit the green though. So it's real hard to not use driver on this hole.

 

#9 - Pond. I've put a couple of second shots into it recently. A drive that's a little off is more likely to lead to a layup because of said pond and I'm honestly perfectly fine with a bogey on this hole. 

 

#11 - pulled tee shot into left trees; mishit approach with a short iron/wedge into the stream; Short game is an issue on this hole. I have two chipped a few times when I have missed the green right...

 

#14 - push fade drive OOB or mishits with second or third shot. I did put a ball in the pond recently but that's still pretty rare.

 

#18 - tee shots that are pulled into the left slope or pushed into the right trees. I've had some miscues on my layups in these situations that have led to situations where i can make a bad decision like " I can go for the green with a 4w across the stream and pond from the rough".

 

Here are the details for the 9/21 numbers:

Hole	Par	HCP	Green size (DECADE)	Gross over par	Putts	Penalties	FW	GIR	Chip/down
1	4	1	Big	1.1	1.9		67%	0%	38%
2	3	17	Average	0.3	1.8			56%	75%
3	5	9	Big	1.6	1.9	3	56%	0%	33%
4	4	15	Average	0.6	1.7	1	67%	44%	25%
5	5	5	Big	2.3	2	4	67%	11%	17%
6	4	7	Big	0.8	1.9	1	33%	33%	33%
7	4	11	Average	1.8	2	4	11%	11%	20%
8	3	13	Small	0.6	1.6			22%	57%
9	4	3	Big	1.8	2.2	3	44%	22%	0%
10	4	10	Big	1	2.4	2	63%	63%	0%
11	4	12	Small	1.9	2	1	88%	0%	43%
12	4	14	Big	0.9	1.9	2	75%	38%	25%
13	3	18	Big	0.8	2.1	1		63%	0%
14	5	4	Average	1.9	2.1	3	63%	13%	0%
15	4	16	Big	-0.1	1.5		25%	63%	71%
16	3	8	Big	1	2.4			50%	0%
17	4	6	Big	1	2		63%	25%	0%
18	5	2	Big	1.8	2.3	4	28%	38%	50%

 

 

 

[bortass]

Unrelated to golf but I finally hit the 55 lbs lost mark. I took the holidays off last year and couldn't get back on track. gained a few pounds back but they are finally gone and then some.

 

I wish I could say the same for golf, lol. It was rough today. I carded a 53/41, 94 for GHIN. Reality was higher because I picked up on #7 after hitting 3 balls OOB but I can't post higher than a 7. My index is slated to go up by 0.1 since a 90 is rolling off and is being replaced by a 91 that wasn't being used.

 

I had one par and a bogey on the front. Everything else was a double+. Sent tee shots OOB on 3 and 7 with an approach OOB on 7.

 

The back 9 was completely different. 6 pars, a bogey and 2 doubles. I kept the ball in play and started to hit my driver solid unlike the front. There were some birdie chances with putts inside 7 feet but I couldn't make it happen.

 

My driver went like this: great draw 245 fairway; OOB (227 yards); 38 yards topped; 200 yards push fade; 199 yard thin pull; Multiple OOB teeshots; 217 yard pull; 262 yard draw fairway; 243 yard draw through fairway by green; 242 yard draw fairway; 244 yard draw, fairway.

 

What I did different was focusing on the feeling up my right hip going up and back. Once I did that the ball striking got much better.

 

I 'love' being so Helter Skelter on the course....

 

Have a good weekend!

 

[bortass]

Got out for 18 earlier. Shotgun start off #17. It was windier than normal, 15mph with higher gusts. Sunny and dry though, temps in the low 50 when we teed off and it warmed up into the upper 60s/low 70s.

 

 

17 – par 4, 363 yards, dogleg left, #6 HCP. Fairly open fairway with bunkers on the right at the corner. Green has a tier and heavily slopes left to right, can putt off this green... Bunkers short of the green as well. My drive is a high fade into the wind, 205 yards, and into the fairway on the right edge. The hole is to the left and it's 150ish to center. I aim left with my 6i and hit a low push into the rough between the two front bunkers. I hit an “okayish” chip with the SW 14 feet past the hole. I get the par putt to 3 feet and miss the bogey putt. Double, 6.

 

Not how I wanted to start.

 

18 – par 5, 504 yards, straightish, #2 HCP. There is a stream carry on either the second or third shot. There is also a pond fronting the green...1 – par 4, 404 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. A high push fade into the right tress off the tee. It's marked as a hazard and I drop in the right rough, 176 yards off the tee. I can't try to clear the stream from here and have to layup. GPS says 7i distances are all safe and I hit that. It's a bit of a pull draw, 146 yards, that ends up in the deeper rough to the left side .

 

Shoot, well struck but not where I want to be. The ball is sitting down a bit, so I take my 9i and swing at it hard. It's a low line drive that clears the stream but only goes 87 yards. From there I hit a partial AW, 82 yards, onto the green, 18 feet to the right of the hole. I have a bogey putt but I miss low. It's a 1 footer for my double, 7.

 

A double after losing my tee shot isn't the end of the world but it's not a great start.

 

1 – par 4, 404 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. This hole is with the wind and my tee shot is another high push fade, 221 yards, into #9. I have a shot at the green and hit 4w. It's a decent shot, low draw, that goes 178 and ends up short of the green near the middle. I have to pitch over a bunker and hit it too hard and end up 21 feet long. My par putt is completely mishit. I don't swing hard enough and leave it 10 feet short... Double bogey, 6.

 

I'm nothing by consistent, bad that is, lol

 

2 – par 3, 142 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The hole is to the left side and wind is behind us. I hit 8i and it's a high push fade, shocking, that misses the green right and almost long, 146 yard shot. I'm chipping from the rough up a mound to a hole that is at the front, so it's down hill once you clear the mound. It's a blind shot as well. I chip with my SW and blade it... The ball rolls through the rough and up to the top of the mound. I can't see what happens but the ball stopped a foot from the cup! Very lucky break and I get my first par of the day, 3.

 

3 – par 5, 458 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I remember to release the club, AKA Cast B, and my drive is a solid draw, 226 yards, through the fairway at the corner. I have a good lie in the rough and hit a low draw with my 4w, 176, into the fairway short of the green. It's a back left pin, around 70 yards and a helping wind. I take some off my partial SW and hit a nice high shot on, 9 feet short of the cup. My birdie putt just misses and I have a 6 inch tap in for par, 5.

 

4 – par 4, 293 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. My drive is a low fade down the right side, 22 yards, and into the right rough. It's a forward flag, about 55ish yards or so. The ball is above my feet and there's a tailwind still. I go with a partial SW and try to take some off. I catch it heavy and it's a dead pull, 52 yards, that misses the green short and left. I have to pitch over a bunker and hit a great shot, 22 yards, to 2 feet and make the par putt, 4.

 

5- par 5, 501 yards, dogleg right, #5 HCP, hazard down the left side. There's a slope on the right side which makes the fairway narrow in the landing spot. A stream runs down the right side from the corner to near the green. My tee shot is a slight pull draw, 227, into the left rough. I have a decent lie and go with 4w. Contact is good and I hit a low draw past the corner and down the fairway, 181 yards. The hole is middle front and it's 90ish yards. I hit a partial AW, a touch heavy, and it's a high push that misses the green right. I chip with my SW to 11 feet. The par putt is looking good but breaks low and I tap in from 3 inches for bogey, 6.

 

6 – par 4, 367 yards, slight dogleg left, #7 HCP. Medium width landing area with a bunker on the left. Houses are on the right and there's a sharp slope into the left trees if you end up too far into the left rough. Tailwind on this hole and I hit a high draw down the right side, 247 yards, into the right rough. It's a front middle flag and about 120ish. The ball is above my feet and I catch it thin with my 9i. It's a low, bullet draw that lands on the green and rolls off the back. I'm lucky in that the rough stopped it from rolling down the back side of the rear mound. It's downhill all the way and I'm maybe 2 feet from the fringe. I chip with my putter and hit it pretty good, to 3 feet. I sink the par putt, 4.

 

7 – par 4, 351 yards, slight dogleg right, #11 HCP, elevated tee shot to a wide open fairway that slopes down right to left all the way to about the 100 yard marker. Bunkers on the left marking the corner and a slope on the right. Tailwind on a driving hole! So I hit a high push fade into the right trees. I hear it hit something solid and have to hit a provisional which I pop up.... Luckily the tree sent my first ball back into the right rough, a nice 152 yard shot. The hole is on the right and I can't see that side of the green. I don't like my odds from the rough with the ball above my feet. I layup with a nice partial AW, 111 yards, into the fairway. The hole is back right and around 90 yards or so. Still have a tailwind, so I hit a partial SW. Contact is so so and it only goes 82 yards(normal SW range for me) and onto the green. I'm 22 feet short of the hole and my par putt misses. I make the remaining 2 footer for bogey, 5.

 

8 – par 3, 160 yards, elevated tee shot, #13 HCP, bunker on the right side of the green. Slope to the right of this hole that is weed whacked. So it's long stuff and wild. Balls can get lost here. Front flag and wind seems in our face. I go with 8i and blade it... I get very lucky and it goes 122 yards and ends up in the rough short of the green.

 

A guy in my group says, “well, you got a par last time you thinned it”, referring to my chip on #2.

 

I chip with my SW and it's decent, 26 yards, but ends up 9 feet left of the hole. The words of the prophet weren't written on the subway walls but I make the putt, par, 3.

 

9 – par 4, 357 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. Into the wind, I think, and my drive is a solid push draw down the right side. It's a bit too right and I'm barely in the rough of #1. The hole is back left and I can punch my 8i to the left of the trees in front of me to get on. I blade it into the pond instead... I drop 55 yards closer to the hole and now have a partial SW to the hole. I hit a great looking high draw, 78 yards, that lands short of the hole and rolls 2 feet past it. I sink the bogey putt, 5.

 

10 – par 4, 342 yards, dogleg left, #10 HCP hole. Elevated tee shot to a lower fairway. Green is elevated with a bunker front right. I think there's a tailwind, and hit a high draw with my 4w a bit to the right, 223 yards, and into the right rough. I'm blocked out from a good shot at the green by trees, so I layup with a partial SW, 83 yards, into the fairway. It's a back flag and around 60ish yards. A blind shot and I take some off my SW. it's a decent shot that lands on the green. The ball is 14 feet short of the hole and I sink the putt for par, 4.

 

11 – par 4, 329 yards, 90* dogleg left, #12 HCP. Fairway eventually slopes down to a stream short of the green, forced carry. I hit a great, high draw with my 7w, 207 yards and through the fairway at the corner. I have a clear shot at the green and the hole is front right. I'm in the rough and it's 120ish to the hole. Too much for my PW even with the elevation advantage, so I just hit a 9i. It's a slight mishit, push draw, that goes 121 yards into the right rough by the green. I'm chipping on a downslope and can't get the ball to stop near the hole. I'm 12 feet past it and my par putt misses and I have a foot to go, which I make. Bogey, 5.

 

12 – par 4, 315 yards, 90* dogleg left, #14 HCP, green is elevated. Narrow tee shot that opens as you reach the corner. Hit a real low fade down the middle of the fairway with my 4w, 214 yards. Hole is on the left and maybe 100 yards. I hit a nice partial PW, 104 yards, just off the back of the green. I chip with my putter to 2 feet and secure my par, 4.

 

13 – par 3, 123 yards, #18 HCP, green is elevated with bunkers short right and left and long left. Tiered green as well. Hole is back left on the upper tier. I hit my stock 9i and it's a high push fade, 125 yards, onto the right side of the green. I'm 45 feet right of the hole and on the lower tier. I'll just make this easy. My putt never makes the crest and I end up 30 feet out on the front left. Do it again and it rolls back leaving me 20 feet out. Get to 3 feet and two putts later I have a nice, 5 putt, triple bogey, 6.

 

Now that is talent!

 

14 – par 5, 543, straight hole, #4 HCP. Elevated teeshot to wide open fairway. Fairway slopes down left to right, water on the right closer to the green and fronting the entire green. My drive is a nice push draw, 239 down the right side, into the rough. I have a good lie and hit a slight pull draw with my 4w, 171 yards, into the left slope, which killed my distance. I have about 130 to center with the ball below my feet. I hit my 8i and it's a high push fade into the pond... I drop where it crossed and hit a partial SW to 9 feet. Two putts later I have a double bogey, 7.

 

Sigh.

 

15 – par 4, 264 yards, straight, #16 HCP. Elevated tee shot to a fairway that is always soft abd cart path only year round. Fairway bunkers on left side in line with the green. Bunker surround this green except for the left side. I hit another push draw, 239 yards, into the right rough. I'm 50ish yards from the hole and chunk my pitch. My chip isn't hit well and I'm on but 30 feet short of the hole. Well the par putt is 10 feet short... Double bogey, 6.

 

Double sigh.

 

16 – par 3, 147 yards, #8 HCP. Elevated green with a forced stream carry. Bunkers short right and long left and middle. Tiered green with a strong back left to front right slope. The hole is front middle and I hit 7i. It's a high push that lands on the green, 141 yards, and 26 feet right and past the hole. I hit a decent birdie putt to 2 feet. I three putt from there.... Double bogey, 5.

 

So close, yet so far. A 41/50 91. NDB kicks in and it's a 90 for my index since I don't get a stroke on #13 anymore. A 90 is rolling off, so unless there's a PCC adjust from the wind, my index will remain unchanged.

 

I can't believe I had 9 putts on the par 3s on the back... That's pretty much the story of the round as far as bad stuff goes. Putting was at times great and other times horrid. 5 of my “blowups” had 3+ putts. The other two were both double bogeys that each had a drop. I can't really complain about getting a double with a penalty stroke.

 

Overall I'm feeling confident. Saturday's round was a 53/41. So I have played the front and back 9s with a 41 each, just not in the same round obviously. My iron play is getting much better. Driver is what really hurt me last weekend and today it's the putter.

 

Wonder what Saturday will bring?

 

birdies: 0

pars: 7

bogeys: 4

double bogeys: 6

triple+: 1

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 217 yards

Longest drive: 247 yards

Fairways: 7/14

GIR: 3/18

Avg Approach: 110 yards

Up & down: 5/10

Putts: 37!

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -6.3 strokes

driving: -2.3

Approach: -1.6

Short game: +3.2

Putting: -5.7(LOL)

 

Edited September 30, 2022 by bortass

[betarhoalphadelta]

On 9/24/2022 at 10:59 AM, bortass said:

Unrelated to golf but I finally hit the 55 lbs lost mark. I took the holidays off last year and couldn't get back on track. gained a few pounds back but they are finally gone and then some.

 

I wish I could say the same for golf, lol.

 

 

Congrats on the weight loss! That's a huge accomplishment. 

 

Considering how major of a change that is to your body, do you think it's having any effect on your game? Is it mostly diet, or are you also adding in a lot of exercise or strength training that's affecting the swing? 

[bortass]

Got into my own head after a bad shot and spiraled…

 

43/55*. The 43 had a 7 and 8 with a total of 4 penalty strokes. 

 

Started the back with a bogey and then topped my tee shot on 11 which lead to a quad and I just fell apart. I picked up on a couple holes hence the 55*. Lost 7 balls on the day.

 

Sigh, was feeling good about my game until 11.

Edited October 1, 2022 by bortass

[bortass]

2 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

Congrats on the weight loss! That's a huge accomplishment. 

 

Considering how major of a change that is to your body, do you think it's having any effect on your game? Is it mostly diet, or are you also adding in a lot of exercise or strength training that's affecting the swing? 

Don’t think it’s affecting my game any.

 

Its all diet. Went keto and have been slowly losing while enjoying a lot of beef and bacon😋

[bortass]

On 10/1/2022 at 10:56 AM, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

Congrats on the weight loss! That's a huge accomplishment. 

 

Considering how major of a change that is to your body, do you think it's having any effect on your game? Is it mostly diet, or are you also adding in a lot of exercise or strength training that's affecting the swing? 

I thought about this a bit more after posting that first quick response. I lost the weight over a year, albeit not in a linear fashion, so my body, I assume, has had plenty of time to adjust. I am playing better right now than I ever have before. The question that I can't answer is : " are the positive changes in my game because of the weight loss?" There's just no way to tell definitively but I think it is helping. My belief is being overweight hinders my swing. I don't feel physically feel different on the course, at 280+ than I do under 230, but I think it's easier to perform some more correct moves with smaller moobs and less weight in the midsection messing with my balance.

 

I can say I do not feel like it has hurt my game any. I've read about guys that complain about loss of distance etc when they lose weight and I haven't seen anything like that. 

[bortass]

Regarding Saturdays 43/55*, a 96 for GHIN because of NDB. Another round with a big dichotomy in the 9s. What happened? 

 

There was more wind than I normally play in because of Ian and it did impact my game some.

 

I started off with a bogey on #1 and a par on #2. I sent my tee shot OOB on #3 and managed a double bogey(7). Follow that with a par on #4.

 

#5 is downwind and I smoke my drive 256 yards( level hole) down the right side and my ball is just short of the corner. I don't pay attention to my GPS and hit my normal 4w. I hit that baby very solid, a high fade that follows the shape of the hole and is out of sight halfway down. The guys are commenting I may be on the green but there's no sign of my ball anywhere. Turns out I was in 4w range of the little stream that runs in front of the green. So I drop and my pitch on is too far and I'm in the back fringe. I chip with my putter and hit it slightly too hard, so my ball reaches the slope of the tier and rolls 21 feet past the hole... Turns into a 3 putt when I miss a 2 footer.

 

So I now have an 8 on the card.

 

I par 6, 7, and 8.

 

#9 I hit a 242 yard slight pull draw 242 yards and almost into the pond. I'm in the rough and ball slightly above my feet. I have a 9i into the green and blade it into the pond....I drop and hit a partial AW t0 4 feet and come away with a bogey.

 

So I could of had 7 pars on the front if not for the penalty strokes on 3 and 9.

 

I am feeling real good about my game heading to 10. I have been recovering from penalties a bit better lately in prior rounds, for example I have managed to double bogey #3 with an S&D penalty and I had a bogey on #4 with a S&D penalty. So while the penalties suck they have not completely sunk me.

 

#10, a great 4w drive and I get a bogey.

 

#11 the wheels come off. I tee off with my normal 7w and top it into the deep Bermuda rough that's off to the left of the forward tees about 70 yards in front of me. I think I can find it BUT I know I have lost balls in there before. You need to be right on top of them to see them. I do not hit a provisional. I find a couple Pro V1s but not my ball. I had walked down to that area with my SW to just hack the ball back into play, so I drop a ball and hack it into play after tacking on the 2 strokes for a S&D penalty. 

 

Now I'm laying 4 in a spot well short of where a typical drive would go. I nuke my 6i 186 yards and miss the green right. I pitch to 15 feet and two putt for an 8 ( 7 is NDB).

 

I am in my head now because I know I just p!ssed away a few strokes from a bad decision. I should have hit the provisional just in case but noooooooo. 

 

#12 - tee shot is a push fade into the edge of the right trees. I have to chip back into play and flub some greenside chips, triple bogey.

 

I go bogey, par, bogey the next three hole.

 

#16 par 3 - I blade my 7i dead right about 3 feet off the ground into the right trees. I drop in the rough 46 yards from the tees and blow up. I pick up my ball after hitting my 5th shot well past the hole and card a 7( 6 is NDB)

 

#17 is a double after hitting my second shot into the right trees.

 

#18 is a high push slice into the right trees. Drop and layup with a good shot. Have a 5i into the green and I send it into the pond. I just pick up and card an 8 which is NDB.  

 

That topped 7w on #11 killed me. It got me out of sorts and I didn't fully recover IMO. At least I'm blaming all the bad swings that happened later on my mental state even though I had 3 holes that I did okay, 13 - 15.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 6

bogeys: 5

double bogeys: 2

triple+: 5

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 217 yards

Longest drive: 264 yards

Fairways: 7/14

GIR: 5/18

Avg Approach: 113 yards

Up & down: 0/10

Putts: 31 for 16 holes

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -13.5 strokes

driving: -7.1

Approach: -3.5

Short game: -2.4

Putting: -0.5

[TwistedSister]

Putting, putting, putting.  Chipping, chipping, chipping.  Work on 50 yds in and putting.  31 putts on 16 holes when only 5 GIR's?  Putting.  Chipping.

[bortass]

Played the sister course with all the water Sunday. 5452 yards, 67.1 rating and 120 slope. Sunny in the 50s-70s depending on time of day and wind, 10+ MPH, the entire time.

 

 

1 – par 5, 444 yards, dogleg left, #10 HCP. My drive is a push fade into the right rough, 198 yards. It's 250ish to the green and the fairway narrows with trees right and left before it opens up again short of the green. I decide to hit 6i and it's a bit thin but it goes 133 yards down the fairway. I hit my 7i next according to Arccos but that seems a bit off unless I made a mistake when reading the yardages. Anyhow it goes 123 yards and I miss slightly long and right, which is why I question the club. Chip with 9i to 9 feet. The par putt stops inside 6 inches short... Bogey, 6.

 

2 – par 4, 328 yards, #14 HCP, dogleg left and forced carry over a small creek/drainage channel. Driver and 4w run the risk of going through the fairway, so I tee off with 7w. It's a pull which is not good. The ball hits a tree and drops, 157 yards. I have no shot from the left rough and I hit a partial SW, 79 yards, into the right rough. It's a level lie and I hit my 9i, 116 yards, 11 feet past the hole. Downhill putt and the par putt stops less than 3 inches short... Bogey, 5.

 

3 – par 4, 356 yards, straight, #2 HCP, forced carry over a stream short of the green. This drive is a great looking mid height draw, 240 yards, down the fairway. The hole is front right and around 100ish yards. I go with a partial PW and chunk it a little. It's still a high shot that goes 96 yards and land son the green. I'm 11 feet short of the hole and my birdie putt goes 2 feet long. I make the par putt though, 4.

 

4 – par 4, 319 yards, straight, #8 HCP, elevated green with a tier in it. Another solid draw with the driver, 231, down the right side of the fairway. It's a back left hole position, about 100ish yards or so. I don't want to go long and I think the wind was behind me. I hit a partial AW and it's fat... The ball only goes 78 yards and ends up on the right front of the green. I'm 45 feet away and putting up a tier. I whack it way too hard and it rolls 15 feet long.... A 3 putt bogey, 5.

 

5- par 3, 138 yards, #16 HCP, elevated tee shot with a forced carry off the tee over and overgrown area with a small stream in it. The flag is back right and 140ish. I hit 7i and I hit it real thin. It misses the green right, lands on the cart path, and bounces into the rough closer to the next hole, 157 yards... I chip/pitch from the rough with my SW and leave it short of the green... I chip again with the SW and watch as the ball lands on the green and rolls into the cup for a par, 3.

 

That was very lucky to say the least.

 

6 – par 4, 318 yards, slight dogleg left, #12 HCP, entire hole slopes up away from the tees. I hit another solid draw down the right side and through the fairway, 231 yards. It's a left flag and I hit a partial SW. A nice high shot that goes 89 yards and lands on the green. I'm 14 feet short of the hole and the birdie putt stops a foot out. Par,4.

 

7 – par 5, 414 yards, dogleg right, #6 HCP. Slightly elevated tee shot to a fairway that slopes away from the tee box to the lake, roughly 205 yards to the water. Hazard left off the tees and houses right as well. Fairway on the other side of the lake runs 90* right. Lake is on the entire right side and it's a clear shot to the green or any part of the fairway from the tee box side of the fairway. So the first forced lake carry of the day.

 

My hole from hell...

 

Tailwind and the lake is anywhere from 200 – 230 yards away depending on which side you go down. I've hit 7w into the lake when it was down the left side without much wind assist. I decide on 6i and hit a high push into the right trees that are 70 yards away on the right side. I get “lucky” and my ball hits a tree and drops inbounds. I have no shot towards the hole/lake though, so I hit a chip with my SW, 43 yards, to get into the fairway. I'm 140-150 from the lake and layup with a nice PW that goes 120. I look things over and I have a flat lie in the fairway and the back left side of the green is 190 yards away. I feel good about hitting my 7w over there and it' s a solid shot but a push into the lake. Drop 30 yards closer and try again.. A bigger push into the lake. I just take an X at this point and card a NDB 8.

 

I don't know what it is with this hole. I try to be safe off the tee and either hit it too good and into the lake or I hit that push, almost a shank, into the right trees just off the tee box.

 

Someday I'll figure out how to play this hole...

 

8 – par 3, 126 yards, #18 HCP, green is elevated and a forced carry off the tee. Into the wind and it's 110ish to the hole. I hit a full 9i and it's a bit heavy. A high shot that lands on the front of the green. I'm 12 feet short and just miss the birdie putt. I make the par from a foot out, 3.

 

9 – par 4, 306 yards, dogleg right, #4 HCP. Forced lake carry off the tee to a fairway that runs 90* right. Water down the entire right side of this hole once you get across. I almost always hit driver here but the wind is blowing at an angle from left to right aka towards the lake. I also have hit my driver though the fairway on the far side a number of times. I go with 7w and hit a great draw, 192 yards, into the left rough. The ball is a bit below my feet and my angle to the flag goes at the lakeI aim a bit left with my PW and hit a partial shot. I hit it thin and low down the left side. It hits a slope short and left of the green and kicks on. A 127 yard shot( was hoping for more like 100 or so) and it's 27 feet past the hole. Birdie putt comes up a foot short and I get a par, 4.

 

Too bad I messed up #7 because things are going well overall.

 

10 – par 4, 250 yards, dogleg right, #7 HCP hole. Straight off the tee with lake down the entire right side. The green is across the lake with a forced carry all the way to the green. I tee off with my 7w and top it 45 yards into the rough in front of the tee box... Punch a 5i all of 100 yards down the fairway to setup an approach. It's 130ish and I mishit my 8i. It barely clears the lake and I'm on the bak of the lake in the rough. I hit a decent chip with the SW to 3 feet and two putt for a double, 6.

 

11 – par 4, 260 yards, straight, #15 HCP. Short par 4 the green is on the left side and houses on the right of a fairly wide fairway. I hit a high push into the right trees, 209 yards. It's open and I have a shot at the green but need to keep it low. I hit a little punch with my 7i but give it too much gas. The ball lands just short of the green and rolls to the back left. I'm 48 feet past the hole and putting down slope. I hit the putt and we watch as it rolls towards the hole and misses by a few inches. I'm just a foot away and get my par, 4.

 

12 – par 5, 477 yards, straight, #1 HCP. Drainage ditch about 200 yards off the tee. It's playable in there but you may have a bad lie. Approach shot is a forced carry over a marshy area of the lake short of the green. I decide to hit 4w short of the ditch and hit it very solid but too far right. A 206 yard shot into the rough on the right, just short of going into an area of brush. I have no shot down the fairway from here. It's kinda like #7, I have to come out sideways with my SW. It's a good shot and I'm in the fairway across the ditch at least. I need to laup short of the marshy area and bunt a 6i, a bit thin, 118 yards down the fairway. The hole is on the right and there's a tailwind. It's around 120ish away and I hit a partial PW. It's good contact and I get on the green and 17 feet short of the hole. The par putt stops a foot out, bogey, 6.

 

13 – par 3, 154 yards, #17 HCP, green is elevated with bunkers short right and tiered green. The hole is back left and the wind is swirling. It's 150ish and I hit my 6i. I blade it a few feet off the ground into the stream area that has to be carried. I drop 62 yards off the tee and hit a partial PW up the hill onto the green. I'm 35 feet short of the hole and get the bogey putt for 2 feet. A double bogey, 5.

 

14 – par 4, 349, straight hole, #9 HCP. The approach to the green is from an elevated fairway. I hit a push draw into the right treeline. The ball goes through the mature pines and hits nothing. We see it land and kick left towards the fairway. 204 yard shot and i'm in the right rough. It's a back right hole location and I'm above the green. I hit 8i and it's a high shot that goes 130 yards and barely gets on the front. I'm 49 feet short of the hole and hit the birdie putt too firm. It's 4 feet long and I miss, bogey, 5.

 

15 – par 4, 274 yards, straight, #17 HCP. Entire hole slopes down to this green. The area fronting the green is always very soft. I like driving on this hole but hit a push into the right trees... Can't find the ball and it's marked as a hazard and I drop where it went in, 201 off the tee. I have to keep the ball a bit low and hit an okay partial SW shot, 87 yards, onto the green. I'm 41 feet past the hole and the par putt stops a foot out. Bogey, 5.

 

16 – par 3, 112 yards, #13 HCP. Forced carry over a small creek. The elevation of this hole is like a U with the tee and green being the top points. The hole is back left and long is bad. It's 105ish and I go with my AW. I hit it a tough heavy and it's a high draw that lands on the green just short of the flag and it takes the slope of the tier and rolls away from it. 103 yard shot and I'm 14 feet below the hole. The birdie putt catches the outside edge but doesn't drop. I have less than 6 inches for my par, 3.

 

17 – par 5, 467 yards, mostly straight, #5 HCP. Forced carry over junk off the tee to the fairway which is about 150 yards away. The lake is down the entire right side of this fairway and the green is offset to the right, so the approach in is almost always crossing water. Tee shot is an issue because driver can reach the lake with a push of about 205-210 yards. There are a couple trees that will knock balls down into the junk on the left side, so you are forced to hit at an angle that makes the lake and issue off the tee.

 

I don't like this tee shot. Driver is a no go and I hit 4w. It's a perfect draw around the bunker on the left, 210 yards, and into the fairway. I aim down the left side with my 7w and top it 111 yards.... The lake is right and behind the green from where I am. I have a good lie in the FW and hit 8i. It's a decent shot, 133 yards, that just gets on the left side of the green. I'm 63 feet from the hole and going up a tier. I leave the birdie putt 13 feet short.... A three putt bogey, 6.

 

18 – par 4, 360 yards, straight, #3 HCP. Lake down the entire right side and the fairway narrows but I'm not sure exactly where distance wise off the tee. I hit a push fade with my driver over the fairway bunker on the right which means it's in the lake... I drop 187 off the tee and hit my 7w at the green. It's a bit thin and the ball goes 191 yards into the back left bunker. I get out in one and am 14 feet from the hole. My bogey putt comes up 6 inches short, double bogey, 6.

 

A 42*/46, 88. * is the X that is a NDB 8 for GHIN. I felt good going into #7 and screwed it up again. I recovered with two pars after it though.

 

10^th tee box I feel pretty good but my swing was off. I think I got quick. I don't blow up but end up with 3 doubles on the back and not enough pars to offset them.

 

Once again I felt confident out there and wasn't worried about “can I hit this shot?' I didn't do anything that stressed my game. The 7w shots on #7 that were wet were both like what I have hit a few times on my home course #18. On that hole it's a cross a stream and then a pond short of the green. So it was a confident decision about a shot I can hit but horrid execution.

 

I feel like I played well even with the mistakes.

 

No change to my index since this course is easier and the 19.7 differential is the same as another round that's already being counted.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 7

bogeys: 7

double bogeys: 3

triple+: 1

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 184 yards but 4 holes are without driver.

Longest drive: 240 yards

Fairways: 4/14

GIR: 9/18

Avg Approach: 110 yards

Up & down: 0/4

Putts: 35

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -7.3 strokes

driving: -5.9

Approach: -1.6

Short game: +1.6

Putting: -1.3

 

[bortass]

#7 image for the fun of it.... Ignore the 2 putts, I just added them to keep Arccos happy.

[betarhoalphadelta]

6 hours ago, bortass said:

I thought about this a bit more after posting that first quick response. I lost the weight over a year, albeit not in a linear fashion, so my body, I assume, has had plenty of time to adjust. I am playing better right now than I ever have before. The question that I can't answer is : " are the positive changes in my game because of the weight loss?" There's just no way to tell definitively but I think it is helping. My belief is being overweight hinders my swing. I don't feel physically feel different on the course, at 280+ than I do under 230, but I think it's easier to perform some more correct moves with smaller moobs and less weight in the midsection messing with my balance.

 

I can say I do not feel like it has hurt my game any. I've read about guys that complain about loss of distance etc when they lose weight and I haven't seen anything like that. 

 

Yeah, it's typical that when you lose a lot of weight, you lose a fair bit of muscle with it. So losing weight can impact distance--but that may be outweighed by better range of motion, etc that allows you to swing more efficiently. If you had a bunch of other compensations in your swing to handle the extra weight and those are going away, it could even help you improve distance. 

 

I've been working out pretty constantly since June, and to date I've lost about... 2 lbs. I had a run of 5 rounds in a row that counted for my index and was about to credit the workouts with that improvement. But since I've had 3 consecutive rounds that didn't... So I guess it was fool's gold lol.

[bortass]

17 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

Yeah, it's typical that when you lose a lot of weight, you lose a fair bit of muscle with it. So losing weight can impact distance--but that may be outweighed by better range of motion, etc that allows you to swing more efficiently. If you had a bunch of other compensations in your swing to handle the extra weight and those are going away, it could even help you improve distance. 

 

I've been working out pretty constantly since June, and to date I've lost about... 2 lbs. I had a run of 5 rounds in a row that counted for my index and was about to credit the workouts with that improvement. But since I've had 3 consecutive rounds that didn't... So I guess it was fool's gold lol.

Yeah, I have no good way to tell how my body composition is changing but I'm sure I'm losing some lean mass. I will say keto and IF have been easier than I thought. I'm pretty much never hungry and I'm not tracking any food/calories.

 

I wouldn't say it's fool's gold. Golf isn't linear, like a lot of things in life. It's streaky in my experience and because we're improving, with a lot of room to improve, the peaks and valleys can be greater. So I'm sure the workouts are playing a role in your better rounds.

 

I just started reading Atomic Habits and it's been interesting. The high level understanding I have is that small changes in a system/process will snowball into something greater. He talks about the British national cycling team. They never did well historically and then they started to make seemingly small improvements and over the years became what seems like a powerhouse. It's the same thing I have seen said in different ways, whether it's DECADE, the putting improvement thread etc. Focus on improving your process, the individual results may not always be what you want but the process will get you where you want to go. 

 

I can see that with my game. I made some changes to my putting process, nothing huge and it's getting better. I still have ups and downs and some massive brain farts at times but the trend is better. I'm sure the weight loss is helping in the same fashion, etc. 

 

Interesting stuff IMO.

[bortass]

Got out for 18. The men's group I sometimes play with during the week is having their annual tournament. It's net stroke play. Today was round 1 at my home course and the second round is next Thursday at one of the sister courses. Weather was nice. Sunny, high 40's - 70 depending on when you checked. I'm currently in 3rd place in my flight at +1.

 

It was a shotgun start and we were starting off 18. I rip a 250 yard draw down the middle. I decide to hit 6i across the stream and it's a thin push fade that goes into the pond well right of where I was aimed. End up with a double. Things got better on the front but I still left too many shots on the course.

 

I shot a 43/47, 90 with 5 penalty strokes. Not a single hole picked up for a change. I birdied #2 after sinking a 12 footer. I only managed 2 pars on the front though. #3 was a double bogey AFTER hitting my tee shot OOB.... Had another double on #6 after almost hitting my tee shot OOB. I was forced to layup and then 3 putted, lol. Everything else was bogey golf.

 

The back 9 was a mess...

 

#10 - tee shot was a push slice into the trees which forced a layup after my drop. Came away with a double.

#11 - great tee shot through the fairway and I didn't take enough club and my approach landed in the roccks on the far bank of the stream. Dropped and hit my pitch across to 14 feet. Made the putt though for bogey.

#12 - top my 4w... Layup with a great 9i. Hit my SW to 6 feet and make the par putt.

#13 - 3 putt bogey from 42 feet.

#14 - a double that didn't need to happen. Hit a push with my driver that only went 197. Got greedy and tried my 4w from a lie i shouldn't have and topped it. A 5i later and I have a standard partial SW in. End up hitting it a bit left and long and it turned into a 106 yard shot with my 80 yard club... 3 putts from 60 feet past the hole, lol.

#15 - Hit a great drive that misses the green right. I will eventually drive this green, lol. Pitch over a bunker to 9 feet and get my par.

#16 - hit my typical push fade/slice with a 7i on this hole into the right trees. Drop in deep rough and hit my chip to 6 inches, so I saved my bogey, lol.

#17 - thin pull with driver that leaves a 6i in. I chunk it badly. My pitch on comes up a yard short of the green and it turns into a double.

 

 

I'm not sure why the back was a challenge but I will say my ball striking was off most of the round. That said a 90 is a good score on my home course and it'll drop my index back down to 18.2. I still feel pretty good out there even though I could have done better. I struggled and still almost broke 90, lol. My putting wasn't trash which helped but too many 3 putts.

 

birdies: 1

pars: 4

bogeys: 7

double bogeys: 6

triple+: 0

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 206 yards

Longest drive: 257 yards

Fairways: 7/14

GIR: 5/18

Avg Approach: 111 yards

Up & down: 3/7

Putts: 35

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -5.4 strokes

driving: -3.7, I lost 3 strokes to penalties.

Approach: -4.1, had 3 penalties here....

Short game: +3.1

Putting: -0.8

Edited October 6, 2022 by bortass

[bortass]

I've managed a few more rounds but nothing earth shattering occurred.

 

The second, and last, day of the annual tournament for a men's group I play with at times was last week. It was on one of the sister courses and we had rain the day before and early morning day of. So it was cart path only and wet. I hit some solid shots but couldn't capitalize on anything. I only lost 2 balls and one was on a short par 3 when I hit a terrible pull that landed on a cart path and bounced OOB...  I was getting off the tee well but couldn't capitalize. I ended up in 5th place for my flight. 

 

Saturday, I shot a 90, 45/45. I had an 89 drop off so my index just went up by 0.1. I do not expect any major increases with my index in the near term since I have a number of rounds of 91 that are not being used.

 

5 penalties in the mix though. Driver had 3 when I sent two tee shots right, one of which was OOB. Funny part was the hole with the S&D penalty was a double bogey, so at least I didn't completely FUBAR it.

 

My only triple was on #10 after I hit my 4w into the right trees. I drop and had to layup and as I walk back to my cart I find my original tee shot. I don't know how it got in the rough but it was too late. I went on and made a mess of the rest of the shots on the hole. 

 

The last penalty was when I hit my second shot into the pond with my 4w on 18. A terrible push fade that was way right of where I wanted it to go.

 

Even with the penalties off the tee and in my approach game I did well in both of those phases. My short game stat wise was good but I had miscues and putting is what really hurt. I managed 8 GIR though.

 

My swing is slowly changing as I play. My right hip is going back and up more often and that's leading to more solid shots. I started to add in making sure to do cast B and it made a big difference. The stupid pushes don't happen. It also improved my iron shots. I hit a number of irons 10 yards longer than normal with high draws. I still have to think about these feels/moves but it's getting easier in that prior to Saturday I was just thinking about the right hip. Now I seem to be able to add in the cast thought on a number of swings, so I guess I freed up some mental bandwidth, lol.

 

 

birdies: 0

pars: 7

bogeys: 5

double bogeys: 5

triple+: 1

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 212 yards

Longest drive: 256 yards

Fairways: 6/14

GIR: 8/18

Avg Approach: 120 yards

Up & down: 1/9

Putts: 38

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -5.5 strokes

driving: -2.9, I lost 4 strokes to penalties.

Approach: -0.2, had 1 penalty here....

Short game: +0.9

Putting: -3.4

[bortass]

Happy November, It's been a while! Mainly because I haven't had anything of much interest/been busy with non-golf things.

 

I won "most improved golfer of the year" in the Tues/Thursday Men's group I play with at times. There's nothing attached to said fame but it's kinda cool to see, at least for me.

 

My game is the same as always, I can count on inconsistency! That is the one given that is plainly obvious and I could take to the bank, too bad it's still worthless 😜

 

Shot a 102 at a sister course and everything was off. Nothing stood out as being terrible because all four aspects of my game were middle of the road terrible. SG compared to a 12, total was -20.1, and  ranged from -3.1 to -6.9 in the four areas.

 

Next week at the home course I shoot a 99. My driving and approach shots bit, total SG compared to a 12 was -14.6, Driving -7.7, approach -7.4, short game +0.2, putting +0.3!

 

Saturday aka a few days ago, home course 91. My driving bit. Total SG was -6.5. Driving was -5.8( 3 penalties), approach was -2.6, short game was +0.8, and putting was +1.1.

 

Yesterday, home course carded 91* (I picked up on two holes when there was no way I was going to get NDB).Total SG -6.4, -1.0 driving (2 penalties), -1.5 approach, short game -0.5, and putting was a nice -3.3....

 

My index hasn't budged in a while. It's still 18.3 but that may change after my next round. I have an 87( 16.2 dif) rolling off but there are three 91s (19.8 dif) that are not currently being used.

 

Practice wise, I made it to the range last week and focused on just a couple feels related to my hips and shoulders. The hips is just right hip up and back and then left hip up and back. Shoulders is just trying to feel it get under my chin. I plan to keep working on these feels. The results were very nice and I saw some of it in my irons over the weekend. I had a couple iron shots that landed on the green and backed up a foot or so. 

 

I may have a new favorite club( story time). I'm been playing with 12-13 clubs. One issue I have noticed for a few months is when I get within 50-70 yards of my target. My partial SW shot is now 80 yards and I have either been trying to take some off or trying to hit a 50-60 yard pitch with it. I can hit a 50-60 yard pitch but that's pushing my limits and it goes south when I don't play a lot. I have been thinking about adding another wedge.

 

There's an old Wilson 60* that is floating around my garage. I grabbed it for my range session and wanted to also bring one of my blades. While looking for the blade I found a Vokey 60* that I forgot I even owned! So I took it to the range instead, lol. I used to run 4 Vokey wedges and eventually dropped the 60* prior to stepping away from golf in 2013.

 

I did use it on the course Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, #14 I hit a partial 60* shot, 56 yards to 2 feet.  Sunday on #4, great drive and I'm inside 70 yards to a front flag. I hit a partial shot to 9 feet. #6, I get in trouble off the tee and have to layup. I have 65ish yards to the hole and hit a partial 60*, 65 yards to 3 feet, and save par.

 

I almost wonder if I should put all the Vokey wedges back into my bag, lol.

 

Speaking of wedges here is how #18, par 5 with stream and pond played out yesterday. First some context, I shot 44 on the front with 2 doubles, 5 pars, a bogey, and a triple(X).  On the back I bogey 10 - 13.  I double 14 after hitting my approach shot into the pond with an 8i. Double 15 after hitting my driver into the left hazard. Save a bogey on 16 after hitting my 7i tee shot into the right hazard. 17, a triple(X). So my game fell apart once I hit the pond ball on 14.

 

Tailwind off the tee and I nuke a draw, 245 down the middle of the fairway. The front of the green is about 210ish, but it's pond short. I don't have a club I can hit that far,( maybe I'll go back to a 3w someday and get frisky)  so I just hit my 6i down the left side, over the stream, and into the rough. I have about 100ish to the hole based on my GPS guesstimate. I hit a partial PW and it's a high shot that lands on the green behind the flag and there's a slope forming a backstop. My ball slowly rolls back to the hole and stops within a foot. A birdie after making a mess of 14-17, lol.

 

My wedges were not all sunshine and puppy dogs, the triple of 17 was partially due to taking a scalp with a partial AW after being forced to layup by a bad tee shot. So I still hit some dogs with them but the great shots with them override that. I feel good with a partial wedge shot though. I'm holding onto the belief that my good shots/holes are not flashes in the pan even though something could go wrong with any shot.

 

So I guess this post is a long winded way of saying, I'm still alive and playing.

 

Hope all is well for you!

 

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Hey, since I know you've had experience with basically all of the Monte videos, I'm wondering if you might have advice on which one would be a good starting point for my son. He's now at the point where he's got a fairly pretty swing, and my eye is still good enough to catch some of the things he's doing, but I think it would be good for him to have help. I haven't yet bought any of Monte's full swing series. 

 

I see he's basically got 4 main ones:

 

• The Efficient Swing
• Drive 4 Dough
• NTC
• BroomForce

 

I can buy all 4, but certainly don't want to overload him with something like BroomForce (designed for speed/distance), when he should be focusing on basic swing fundamentals.

 

I think it would be Efficient Swing and/or NTC. Would you agree? And would it be AND, or OR? 

[North Butte]

On 9/20/2022 at 12:34 AM, b_f_c_99 said:

What I simply cannot grasp is your ability to hit some solid drives and some pretty good wedge play, yet you have multiple,e times every round where you chunk, thin, top, and hit all manner of terrible shots.  There simply has to be a cause for this massive inconsistency.  

I not only can grasp it, I live it every day I play golf.

 

Don't know how many times the guys I play with will congratulate me walking off the 18th green with, "You really hit the ball well today". And they are right, there were a couple stretches of 4-5 holes where I hit shots a low single digit handicapper would find very acceptable, even good. 

 

But when they add up the score and it's a 92 they're like, "Is this right? You hit the ball great". They're not remembering the half dozen complete duffs that didn't advance the ball at all. Or the times I hit my tee shot in the trees and took three tries to get out.

 

I believe bortass and myself are a similar "type" of golfer along with maybe 1-in-10 of the people I play with. Our double digit handicap and our scores in the high 80's and low 90's are not a reflection of an inability to hit solid, impressive, accurate shots with driver, irons and wedges. It's due to the sheer number of awful shots in every single round that cost a full stroke or more. 

Edited November 10, 2022 by North Butte

[bortass]

1 minute ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Hey, since I know you've had experience with basically all of the Monte videos, I'm wondering if you might have advice on which one would be a good starting point for my son. He's now at the point where he's got a fairly pretty swing, and my eye is still good enough to catch some of the things he's doing, but I think it would be good for him to have help. I haven't yet bought any of Monte's full swing series. 

 

I see he's basically got 4 main ones:

 

• The Efficient Swing
• Drive 4 Dough
• NTC
• BroomForce

 

I can buy all 4, but certainly don't want to overload him with something like BroomForce (designed for speed/distance), when he should be focusing on basic swing fundamentals.

 

I think it would be Efficient Swing and/or NTC. Would you agree? And would it be AND, or OR? 

I'm sure there will be others that may chime in but here's my take.

 

My priority order would be NTC, BF, Efficient Swing, and then D4D.

 

NTC will help set him up with the concepts and moves for a solid swing and it's also a help for the people that overswing.  I'd start with it. The focus is really the arms and hands. Cast A is the motorcycle move and makes a big difference in ball flight, at least for me. When I do that drill correctly it's a very high draw almost all the time. Cast B drill, I have found to be great for partial wedges. 

 

BroomForce is about using the ground IMO. The drills forced me to use my lower body but I have not spent a huge amount of time with it. It seems to dovetail with NTC quite well.

 

Efficient Swing covers the entire full swing in detail. It's worth getting probably after NTC and BF are more ingrained. It's helpful if you want to focus in more detail on a certain aspect of things. "I need to understand transition better and focus on it more" etc. 

 

D4D is just about driver and seems to be mostly how to correct what you may be doing wrong. Setup, tilt away, etc. One example is to gain speed, one drill is to try to hit your LW as far as possible. It'd probably be very useful if he wanted to focus on just the driver but my guess is there's more bang for the buck in the other 3. Now, I have read people that claim they have built solid swings using just D4D. 

 

Hope this helps and let me know if you need more info.

[bortass]

22 minutes ago, North Butte said:

I not only can grasp it, I live it every day I play golf.

 

Don't know how many times the guys I play with will congratulate me walking off the 18th green with, "You really hit the ball well today". And they are right, there were a couple stretches of 4-5 holes where I hit shots a low single digit handicapper would find very acceptable, even good. 

 

But when they add up the score and it's a 92 they're like, "Is this right? You hit the ball great". They're not remembering the half dozen complete duffs that didn't advance the ball at all. Or the times I hit my tee shot in the trees and took three tries to get out.

 

I believe bortass and myself are a similar "type" of golfer along with maybe 1-in-10 of the people I play with. Our double digit handicap and our scores in the high 80's and low 90's are not a reflection of an inability to hit solid, impressive, accurate shots with driver, irons and wedges. It's due to the sheer number of awful shots in every single round that cost a full stroke or more. 

So very true. I don't get why this is but it's always been my pattern as I improved. A good example from my round on Sunday is two wedge shots.

 

#17 - level lie in the fairway and it's a partial AW to my target on the green, 90ish yards. I hit that thing so heavy it sent a divot the size of a saucer flying down the fairway and the shot was 20ish yards short and into a bunker. I had already been forced to layup after a bad tee shot and my bunker shot went into another bunker and I blew up....

 

#18 - level lie in the rough. 100ish yards to my target on the green and I stuff a partial PW to a foot and have a tap in birdie.

 

One shot I hit like a 30 index and the other it was like I channeled my inner Obee...

 

One guy I played with made the comment a few months ago that I'm the best 19 he's ever seen. I don't play every hole like a bogey golfer but that's how it averages out because one triple offsets 3 pars......

[North Butte]

4 minutes ago, bortass said:

So very true. I don't get why this is but it's always been my pattern as I improved. A good example from my round on Sunday is two wedge shots.

 

#17 - level lie in the fairway and it's a partial AW to my target on the green, 90ish yards. I hit that thing so heavy it sent a divot the size of a saucer flying down the fairway and the shot was 20ish yards short and into a bunker. I had already been forced to layup after a bad tee shot and my bunker shot went into another bunker and I blew up....

 

#18 - level lie in the rough. 100ish yards to my target on the green and I stuff a partial PW to a foot and have a tap in birdie.

 

One shot I hit like a 30 index and the other it was like I channeled my inner Obee...

 

One guy I played with made the comment a few months ago that I'm the best 19 he's ever seen. I don't play every hole like a bogey golfer but that's how it averages out because one triple offsets 3 pars......

You'll have reach true equilibrium when you play "bogey golf" by making nine pars and nine doubles. That's the 20hcp equivalent of Nick Faldo's famous round of 18 straight pars in the Open. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

1 hour ago, North Butte said:

I not only can grasp it, I live it every day I play golf.

 

Don't know how many times the guys I play with will congratulate me walking off the 18th green with, "You really hit the ball well today". And they are right, there were a couple stretches of 4-5 holes where I hit shots a low single digit handicapper would find very acceptable, even good. 

 

But when they add up the score and it's a 92 they're like, "Is this right? You hit the ball great". They're not remembering the half dozen complete duffs that didn't advance the ball at all. Or the times I hit my tee shot in the trees and took three tries to get out.

 

I believe bortass and myself are a similar "type" of golfer along with maybe 1-in-10 of the people I play with. Our double digit handicap and our scores in the high 80's and low 90's are not a reflection of an inability to hit solid, impressive, accurate shots with driver, irons and wedges. It's due to the sheer number of awful shots in every single round that cost a full stroke or more. 

 

Yeah, I'm in that same group of golfers. When I posted swing videos back when I was a 25, I was getting comments like "you won't be a 25 for long with that swing." I guess they're right. Now two years later I'm a 19. WOOO!!!! 😂

 

 

My good shots are really pretty. I've got streaks of 5-6 pars at a time. I've played the front 9 of my course at even par once (finished +14), and actually have a round where I have a 12-hole stretch of even in the middle of the round (finished +9). I don't make a lot of birdies in general (first streak was 1 out of those 9, second streak was 3 out of 12 and was the first time I'd carded multiple birdies in a single round). But if I can keep it in play off the tee, put my approach on or near the green and not make a major mistake in the short game I can keep myself mostly in pars and bogeys. And with my swing, I have the *capability* to do that on any hole. But then I've got the blow ups. 

 

My path to reducing my index is reducing blow up holes (at my index I call that triple or worse, not double), not making more pars. If I can get around making enough pars to balance my doubles I can shoot bogey golf. It's when I blow up and card a 9 on a hole that I've gotta make WAY more pars than normal to balance that. 

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

1 hour ago, bortass said:

 

 

Hope this helps and let me know if you need more info.

 

Thanks! Very helpful!

 

I've got the kids straight through from next Thursday until Thanksgiving morning, and I ended up getting a hitting net for the backyard. He's got no school Thanksgiving week, so will have a bunch of time to practice. I wanted to get this feedback before that. 

[North Butte]

Just now, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

Yeah, I'm in that same group of golfers. When I posted swing videos back when I was a 25, I was getting comments like "you won't be a 25 for long with that swing." I guess they're right. Now two years later I'm a 19. WOOO!!!! 😂

 

 

My good shots are really pretty. I've got streaks of 5-6 pars at a time. I've played the front 9 of my course at even par once (finished +14), and actually have a round where I have a 12-hole stretch of even in the middle of the round (finished +9). I don't make a lot of birdies in general (first streak was 1 out of those 9, second streak was 3 out of 12 and was the first time I'd carded multiple birdies in a single round). But if I can keep it in play off the tee, put my approach on or near the green and not make a major mistake in the short game I can keep myself mostly in pars and bogeys. And with my swing, I have the *capability* to do that on any hole. But then I've got the blow ups. 

 

My path to reducing my index is reducing blow up holes (at my index I call that triple or worse, not double), not making more pars. If I can get around making enough pars to balance my doubles I can shoot bogey golf. It's when I blow up and card a 9 on a hole that I've gotta make WAY more pars than normal to balance that. 

 

Yep, we're practically twins. My best par streak was 11 holes in the middle of a round on a brutally tough links course on a breezy day. I felt like the Bishop in Caddieshack for an hour and a half but at the end of the round the total was still in the high 80's due to all the doubles and triples before and after that magical stretch.

 

I've got you beat by one on the nine-hole personal best. A couple years back I made about a 1/4-mile of putts on the back nine and shot 35 (1-under). 

 

I'm still not sure one of my rare rounds in the (high) 70's with very few duffed/disaster shots is any more fun than the time I made 4 birdies and shot 85. The highs and lows are their own kind of adventure I guess. But I do sometimes wish I could live for just one summer with the game of some of the guys in my group who've been playing all their life, their handicap never moves out of the 10-11-12 range and they make like 8 pars and 10 bogeys or 10 pars and 8 bogeys or something round after round. That kind of consistency is kind of cool, too.