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

[bortass]

Okay, my 9 hole round from Friday. I played my most consistent golf I think. Weather was sunny and mid 70s. No real wind that I recall. Pretty much a perfect day weather wise.

 

1 - par 4, I tee off with my 4w and hit a pop up push fade 155 into the fairway on the right side. It reminded me of an iron, not a great shot but playable. I'm over 200 out still and hit my 4w off the deck. I get a solid draw that goes 184 down the right side and it stops just short of the right greenside bunker. I have to chip over the bunker and I use my GW. I take a practice swing first and brush the turf. Just so you know, I am not in the habit of taking practice swings when I play which is why I call it out. I make good contact and clear the bunker. I'm below the green, so I don't see what the ball does. I end up about 25 feet from the hole and have a nice three putt for a double bogey 6. I'm not thrilled but my 4w from the deck was nice and a double isn't the end of the world on a hole that I can't reach in two without two great shots in arow.

 

2 - par 3, playing around 125ish. I use my 7i and hit a high push fade that goes 130 yards and misses the green a good 10+ yards right. I'm in the rough and chipping to an elevated green. I take a practice swing with my GW and it's decent. My actual swing catches it a bit thin and my ball rolls through the green at the top. I'm just in the fringe by a yard or so and use my putter. I make a good stroke and the balls comes to a rest about 3 feet from the flag, pin high on the low side. I make the putt for a bogey. Nice!

 

I think about the fact that I'm level 5s after 2 when I leave the green. Not sure why that had popped in my head but it did.

 

3 - par 3, dogleg right. I used to struggle on this hole but it's turned into one I like a lot thanks to the forward tees. I can be close to the green in two with a couple good 4w shots. I tee off with my 4w and hit a nice draw to the left side of the fairway, 182 yards. This makes the hole longer but I have a better angle at the green, so I'm quite happy. Still 200ish out and hit my 4W. I top it about 125 yards, still in the fairway. Darn it. I have 70 to center and decide on a partial PW. I catch a touch thin, so it's a lower draw that lands on the green and releases into the back fringe. It's a back flag and not the end of the world. I use the putter to chip again and the ball stops about 18 inches from the cup on the low side. I sink the putt for a par and rare up and down.

 

4 - short par 4 and the tees are way forward. The center of the green is maybe 215 - 220. i have no idea why they are up this far but it is what it is. I use my 4w and hit a high fade. I see it land in the right fairway bunker, near the front lip, which is on a rise short of the green. I don't see what the ball does after the puff of sand. I'm preparing myself for a possible plugged ball in the lip as I walk to the bunker. I don't see a ball in the bunker as I get closer though. I clear the rise enough to see near the green and my ball is in the rough short of it and the left front bunker. 188 yards off the tee. I have to carry the bunker with my chip. So I take a practice swing with my GW. I chip over the bunker and about 20 feet past the hole. I'm thinking par as I walk up and start my putting routine. No dice as I miss the first one by 3 feet or so and screw up the second one. So a bogey, which is not good...

 

5 - par 5, dog right. This hole can be a challenge for me. I've been playing it much better of late but it's not like #3. The tee shot feels narrower and there's a small stream that cuts under the fairway and follows the right side of the cart path until it gets close to the green where it cuts back under the fairway for a bit and is an open stream short of the green to the left. I hit my 4w off the tee and it's a bit right. 187 yards and I'm on the ridge that's on the right side of the fairway. My lie is decent in the rough on a flat spot. There are trees that I have to deal with if I try to go towards the green with the stream on the other side of them. not a wise play, so I punch my 6i about 127 yards into the fairway, going left of the trees. I'm 120ish out and hit my 7i. It's a high push fade that misses a few yards right. I'm able to use my putter and I leave it 6 feet short of the hole. I hit the putt and watch it track and drop in for another up and down par.

 

Level 5s is still in my head since that's what I have after 5 holes.

 

6 - par 4, dogleg left with a ridge cutting across the fairway. I hit a decent draw down the right side with my 4w. It goes 168 yards and I'm in the fairway near the right rough. I'm in that 125ish area and hit my 7i. It's a nice mishit that goes left into the left greenside bunker. I don't think I have ever been in this bunker before. My lie is decent and i use my SW to hit it out. The ball pops out of the sand, lands on the green and stops about 6 feet from the hole. Not too bad for me! I putt and miss...I make the next oe for another 5.

 

I have a trend going on, four 5s in a row....

 

7 - par 4, dogleg right, elevated tee shot. I crank a draw with my 4w down the middle. I see it land and bounce, 209 yards off the tee and in the middle of the fairway. perfect tee shot. I'm in the 125ish area and hit my 7i. It's a dead push, 120 yards, into the rough on the slope that to the right and above the green. I find my ball and it's an okay lie. I chip with my SW because the slope is delofting the club. I make good contact but am short of the green. I chip with the putter to three feet and make the putt to get another bogey 5.

 

I'm thinking I just need to get one hole under 5 and i'll have a very good round as I walk to 8.

 

8 - par 3, elevated tee shot. Flag is middle backish and I decide on my 7i. I hit another push 136 yards and miss the green well right. I'm near the front right corner of the bunker that's on the right of the green. So I have to carry it with my chip. I'm above the green and use my SW since I don't want to roll out as much as my GW would. I make good contact, carry the bunker and the ball stops 14 feet from the hole. I look my putt over and leave it inside a foot. I got my bogey 4!

 

All I need is a bogey or better on #9 to shoot under 45. Normally I wouldn't know this but it's kinda hard when the numbers are this even.

 

9 - par 4, with a pond on the left of the fairway as you approach the green. I tee off with my 7w and hit a decent fade 162 yards to the right side of the fairway. This brings the right trees into play and I don't feel like risking a direct shot at the green across the pond since it's over 140 yards. I decide to hit a knockdown 6i down the right side. I won't get on the green but I take the water out of play and can get close. I make great contact and it's a low draw down the right side and it lands to the right of the green. I'm a good three yards off and use my putter to chip. I don't hit it hard enough and leave myself 14 feet short.... Oh boy, here we go... I hit my putt and barely miss high and end up about a foot from the hole. So I make the next one to get a bogey 5.

 

So that's how I shot my 44 which is by far the best score I have for a 9 hole round since starting to play again. My personal best in Maine was a 42 for 9. I was so happy with how I played. My swings weren't always good but I managed my way around the course. All aspects of my game were decent and I felt like a golfer. I wasn't looking for balls in the junk or taking drops. It was quite calm and took about 85 minutes to walk 9 and I had to wait on the single in front of me a number of times as well. That's a whole different story, lol.

[bortass]

Okay Saturday's 18. Weather was much like Friday with some wind that may have impacted club selection on a par 3 but nothing major. I hit the range before playing and overall it went well. Now to tee off!

 

1 - par 4, push slice my 4w 167 yards right behind a large pine tree in the right rough. I have been in the area a fair amount of the time but I am dead behind a tree this time. I punch an 8i about 86 yards into the left side of the fairway, so I was able to get a bit closer to the hole. I'm 150ish out and hit my 5i. It's a dead push 45* right, 86 yards into the right rough.....So I'm now 80 yards out and hit a partial PW. Contact is good and I end up in the fringe at the back of the green. I use my putter to chip and get the ball to 4 feet. I sink the putt to "save" a double bogey 6.

 

Not a good start at all....

 

2 - par 3, about 125 yards or so. i hit my 7i and it's a high push fade that misses right of the green. Much like Friday... I chip on with my SW but bladed the ball 45 feet past the hole... I lag it to 3 feet and sink the next putt for a bogey 4.

 

Well, it's ugly but I'm thinking that I'm level 5s like the previous day.

 

3 - par 5, dogleg right. I hit a great draw 184 yards to the left side of the fairway. I'm about 185-190 out, so I wait for the green to clear.I make okay contact with my 4w and it's a low draw, 166 yards, and maybe 10 yards from the left front edge of the green. The flag is on the back right. I chip on with my GW and am about 32 feet short of the cup. I putt and somehow my putter hits the green before the ball. I have no idea how this is even possible and the ball is well short of the hole, I got maybe halfway there. Two more putts and I have a bogey 6. Blah.

 

4 - short par 4 and forward tees. I tee off with my 4w and it's a great draw down the middle. 190 yards and I'm about 2 yards short of the left green side bunker. I have to carry the bunker and hit a partial GW. I catch it thin and go through the entire green...I am in the rough behind the green and dealing with a slope, so I have to chip with a club. I roll through the green again and am in the left fringe now... I use my putter and leave it 5 feet short. Somehow i make the putt for a bogey 5.

 

I'm one off yesterday's pace but I am scrambling and not playing well. Great shots for me are being followed by crap.

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right with a stream. I described it in the post above this one. I hit a strong draw down the right side with my 4w. it hits the sideslope that's to the right of the cart path and my ball kicks left into the fairway, 193 yards off the tee. I'm in a great spot and hit 7w. It's great contact but a high push. It catches a tree branch on the right and I never find the ball again. I never saw it drop and the tree is in a hazard. I drop and have no shot at the green. So I punch my pw about 85 yards into the fairway, short of the green. I'm over 30 yards from the green and hit my GW. I come up short... Use my putterf rom the fringe and get the ball to 7 feet. A two putt later and i have a nice 8.

 

I'm not too happy about things now.

 

6 - par 4, dogleg right with a ridge, so tee shots that clear the crest will run downhill towards the green. I top my 4w, 126 yards, and barely get the ball to the top of the ridge. I'm about 160 out and hit my 7w. Contact is not clean and it's very low but it goes 139 yards and stops short of the green and barely stops before going into the left greenside bunker. I don't have to carry the bunker since i'm to the right of it. There's too much grass for me to feel good with using my putter, so i chip with my SW. Contact is good but i'm 12 feet short of the cup. I putt and it tracks right at the hole and goes in for my first par!

 

Yay, a par after scrambling the entire hole.

 

7 - par 4, elevate tee shot with a slight dogleg right. I hit a good draw with my 4w, 186 yards, into the fairway. The ball is a bit above my feet, the green is a bit lower than me, but not a lot. I have 145 or so to center. I aim a bit right with my 6i because the ball should go left some. I hit a mid height push draw more right than I want and it's 141 yards into the short grass to the right of the green. I use my putter to ship on and leave it a good 15 feet short. i manage a two putt for a bogey 5.

 

8 - par 3, elevated tee shot and flag is forward. I hit a high draw with my 7i and it goes 137 towards the back of the green. I'm about 50ish feet past the hole and three putt for a bogey.

 

The scrambling continues.... I do like my shot on with the 7i though, it was well struck. I'm thinking I have a chance to keep the front 9 in the 46-47 range if i do okay on 9. I have not added anything up and it's just a gut feel.

 

9 - par 4, with the pond on the left by the green and fairway. I hit my 7w and it's a push fade to the right of the cart path, so I'm in the rough on #1 again. I'm just off the cart path and I take relief since my stance is on it. I have no shot to the green and decide to layup with an 8i power chip. I hit it too hard and watch it roll into the pond about 70 yards from me... I drop and have a partial SW. I hit it thin and into the back bunker. The flag is near the front of the green. The green slopes away from me and there is a tier in it with the flag on the lower level and the pond is behind the flag. Not the bunker shot I want... i use my GW and the ball comes out good, slowly rolls to the tier and feeds down to the flag. I'm 6 feet away on the low side. I two putt for a lovely 7.

 

So the front is over and I have two blowup holes. I have a 49 and I'm working for it yet also creating it if you know what I mean. This isn't bad luck/rub of the green. I can't execute it seems even when ki start off in a good position.

 

Hopefully I can turn it around on the back. I've done it before and there's no reason not to.

 

10 - par 4, dogleg left with an elevated tee shot. I smoke my 4w, it's a great draw 212 yards into the fairway on the right. I'd prefer to be on the left more. There is a small bulge in the tree line on the right and a large trap guards the front of this green. The left side has no trap and is open. The flag is on the right. I am 140 out and go with my 6i. I aim left and hit a high push that clips the top of a tree on the right. Crap, not at all what I wanted and it's not like I was trying to be cute and aim for the pin. I tried to be safe and FUBARed it. I'm short of the bunker and have a blind shot. the green is above me and i can't see the flagstick. I use my SW and put my ball right in the bunker. Awesome. I use my SW again and get on the green, near the back. I have 35 feet and three putt for a triple bogey 7.

 

Great, just great.

 

11 - short par 4, dogleg left. There is a bunker at the right corner of the fairway about 150ish from the tees. At the turn in the fairway it slopes down to a stream that has to be carried I hit my 5i and it's a low draw that goes 180. I hit it around the corner and caught the slope for some extra run out. I'm about 70 yards from center and on a slight downslope. I hit a partial PW onto the green. I'm 12 feet from the flag and am thinking about par as I walk up. Another guy in my group has missed long and right. He chips on the green from under a small tree and is behind me, so I mark my ball. The green is sloping away from us and he hits his putt and it trickles into the hole. I have a good read now and hit my putt. It's too soft and stops at least 4 feet short. So i miss the next one and settle for a 3 putt 5...

 

Sigh. Wasted a GIR.

 

12 - par 4, dogleg left, about 90 degrees. You can't see the green from the tee. I hit a great 4w 194 yards into the fairway on the right side. I am 120 yards to center, going uphill. Flag is forward and there's a bunker I have to carry. I hit my 7i and it's a weak push fade right into the bunker. I have a decent lie and use my GW. I hit the ball and it lands at the top of the bunker and rolls back to me. i set again and swing a bit harder. I catch it thin and it plugs in the face of the bunker. I pick up my ball and put down an X on my card. I can't spend all day hacking around holding up my group and the ones behind us. Also I'm frustrated. At best I'm on in 5, so I write down a 7 for GHIN.

 

13 - par 3, uphill. easiest hole on the course. It's in the 120 range to center, so I hit my 7i. I shank the ball 68 yards right and under a small tree. I burst out laughing as I watched the ball head off at close to 45* from the tee. I just laughed and shook my head as I walked to my bag. Now I'm under a small tree with pink flowers on it. I'm 50 yards from center and hit a partial SW. It's nice and high and I'm on the green. I'm 24 feet from the hole and manage to three putt for a 5...

 

14 - par 5 with water guarding the right side of the green and right side of the fairway as you approach the green. I went tin cup here last week... I hit an okay draw with the 4w, 171 yards into the fairway. i have a good lie and feel good about hitting my 7w down the left side. I top it 85 yards into the left rough. I'm too far out, in the left rough and the ball will be below my feet. I decide on a 6i down the left side and pitch on with my 4th shot. I'm not sure exactly what I did but I blade the ball dead right for the pond. I think I didn't stay down. The ball stops short of the pond. i'm about 90 out with the flag to the right side of the green. I have to carry the pond. I hit my PW and can tell it's short while it's in the air. It lands on the far bank and rolls into the pond. I drop and chip on with my GW and it's a decent chip that stops about 5 feet from the cup. I make the putt to "save" a double bogey 7.

 

15 - shorter par 4, elevated tee shot that has to carry a stream and this fairway is always soft. I think it's cart path only year round. I top my 4w into the rough short of the stream. We watched it's path. The grass is a foot long and bent over and it's mucky. We can't find the ball. i just take an X. I write down a 5 for GHIN since you'resupposed to use your handicap for holes not played. I get one stroke here. I recall if you don't finish a hole you're supposed to enter what you would have likely gotten. This is not a place I'm sure what I would have gotten and I don't want to just throw big numbers out there and have my HCP go up. I'm not a sandbagger and do not want to be perceived as one. So that's my "logic'.

 

16 - par 3, it's 140 with a strong breeze in our faces. There's also a stream to carry. I take my 5i instead of my 6i. I shank this one into the long rough short of the stream. More Awesomeness! The ball is sitting down and I have 70 yards to center. I take close to a full swing with my POW and hit a high draw out of the rough and on the green. I'm 18 feet from the flag and two putt for a 4.

 

I'm happy with this. I hit the recovery shot I needed and managed to stay with a bogey.

 

17 - par 4, slight dogleg left. I hit a shank, or it flew like one, with my 4w, 146 yards into the right rough. The ball never got more than a few feet off the ground, started right and had a nice strong curve to the right. Well i'm over 200 out with a good lie. I hit my 4w and it's a strong draw 188 yards, and short and right of the green. The green is above me and the flag is on the left. There's a tier that runs at an angle across this green. So the flag is on the upper tier. I chip on with my GW and am still on the lower tier, 18 feet from the hole. I look the putt over while someone else is trying to get out of a bunker. It's my turn and I step up and hit my putt. it goes up the tier and track it's way right into the hole for a par!

 

Okay, another scrambling hole that I am happy with the recovery but not having to recover.

 

18 - par 5, there's a stream to carry with your second shot unless you lay up and a pond short of the green. I top my 4w 75 yards and barely make it to the ladies tees... I decide on 7w since I don't want the water to be in play if i go right. I top that one 62 yards into the fairway. I hit 7w again and it's a high shot that goes 167 yards and stops 15 yards short of the stream. I am 180ish from the green with a stream and then a pond to carry if I go for it. Well I'm not completely nuts. I take my 4w and aim well left to the lay up area I almost always play to. I swing and top it into the stream. I'm done for the day, write down my third X(8) and head to the clubhouse.

 

I do my hole by hole entry into GHIN with the numbers for my Xs and have a 102, that's not a 102.

 

I am less than happy with the overall feel of this round. However I did have some good shots. I also scrambled and saved myself on a couple of holes that could have been even bigger blowups. I am going to look at those positives and the fact I got to 'practice' some recovery shots.

 

I do think I need to bring a snack with me. I have walked the last two 18 hole rounds and have not fared well. I seem to come apart on the back 9. I walk when I play 9 but my good 18 hole rounds with the guys previously were all in a cart. I don't plan to ride unless I have too. I had enough water, so that's why I'm wondering if a snack would help. i don't know if the fall off is a lack of energy or what. Last week bad course management spiraled on me and this week I kept steady course management and just could hit the ball well enough.

 

It doesn't matter. It was still fun and i am looking forward to playing again and spending more time on the range.

[bpink21901]

Congrats on the 44!!

"So that's how I shot my 44 which is by far the best score I have for a 9 hole round since starting to play again. My personal best in Maine was a 42 for 9. I was so happy with how I played. My swings weren't always good but I managed my way around the course. All aspects of my game were decent and I felt like a golfer. I wasn't looking for balls in the junk or taking drops. "

The last paragraph has two things that are key to scoring a decent number.... "managed my way around the course" and "I wasn't looking for balls in the junk or taking drops".

 

[bortass]

@bpink21901 Thanks! It's so nice playing a round like that. I'm glad that it's not a bygone era for me. I doubt I'll be doing it with any regularity anytime soon but just the fact I did means I can.

My MDLT book came in today. I'm looking forward to reading it soon.

[bortass]

I made it to the range as it started to shower yesterday afternoon. It was a very mixed bag. I started out with using the Niblick to hit pitches to warm up and that went very well. Very good contact and great ball flight. I then moved to fullswing which is where things got messy. The trend is still strikes near the heel of the club. I seem to have banished the toe shot....

 

I hit some full 8is and it was pretty good. I was just trying to swing the club like MDLT talked about in the clinic video. Contact was good and the ball was going straight. I then broke out my driver. I tried a couple swings with my driver's clubhead at the center of my stance. It's something I have read people on the forum say is part of MDLT's method. I can't vouch for it's validity since I have not read any of his book yet. I make a couple good swings and I get great shots out of them. Mid height draw or fade, very straight without much overall curve. Then I got a push slice and another. I went back to a 'normal' setup with my driver and it was a bunch of bad shots with the odd good one mixed in.

 

I put rain gloves on at some point after using the driver, so the feel in my hands is pretty much gone. I went to hitting partial PW and it's shankville. Low, starts very right, and curves way right as in 90* right. I have no clue. Sometimes I get small spells of good contact but more horrid shots. I follow this pattern the rest of the way. I'm trying to figure out what it is that I have wrong and it's getting worse, it seems.

 

I go chip with range balls on the practice green, near the end of my session, with the Niblick and it's very good. The ball comes out in a very flight pattern. I even did a few using a putting stroke to see what it looks like and those were good as well. It'll take time to get distances down but I don't fear blading the ball with this club.

 

I go back to the range and hit some pitches with the Niblick and my PW. It's more of the mixed bag. I get a good run with the Niblick and start to hit some of those low and right shots. Not as many though. My PW is a mess though. Mostly those shanks. Some tops as well. I try some full 7i shots and it's not good.

 

So I started out very positive. I felt real good about my full swing with the 8i and the first few driver swings. It devolved from there and I was in my normal mode of trying to figure out how to right the ship. I don't know how much the gloves had to do with it. I play with no gloves and could tell that I had no feel in my hands while wearing them.

 

I left the range kinda bummed. However I probably shouldn't have. The reality is this is new to me. I'm not a natural athlete nor good golfer, so this will take work. I am very happy with the good shots. They are awesome. In fact I either get a very good shot or the low shank which is terrible. Kinda funny that I lost my middle ground. I am hoping to get back to the range today to keep working at it.

 

Thanks for reading and I hope all is well with you and yours.

[bortass]

What a difference a day and some knowledge can have. Understanding the Golf Swing has a section on mishits and what causes them and fixes. I read the section on shanks earlier today. He gives five reasons for a shank. One is weight too far back in the heels. I think I felt this at times yesterday. So I tried that fix at the range and still had the shanks. I did notice that I was dropping my left shoulder which is another cause that is mentioned. I applied that fix and it was like the clouds parted, sun shown down on me, and there were trumpets playing... Lol. My contact moved closer to the center of the face. I started to hit the ball so much better. there were still the odd shank here and there but it was a complete reversal from yesterday.

Now for the range session itself.

 

I started out hitting pitches with the Niblick. This went very well for me. Very good contact, ball comes out high and drops. I like warming up with these types of shots since I have found that it helps my tempo. I need to be smooth with a smaller swing to make solid contact. It's also much easier to do with a shorter swing. I went to full swings with I think my 8i.

 

I started off trying to change my weight and still hit some shanks. This is where I noticed my left shoulder dropping. I made the recommended change and boom, solid contact and I'm hitting true high fades down my target line. The ball starts left and curves back in. I hit a few shots and grab my driver. I try to apply the same swing and I nail a mid height fade nice and straight and out there. I do it three more times, for 4 great shots in a row. Then the push fade creeps back in. I only hit a couple more shots and it didn't 'fix' itself right away, so the driver went back in the bag. Plus I broke my tee on the last shot.

 

I hit a few more partial shots with my Niblick and take it, along with three balls, up to the practice green. I figured I'd start chipping to a target with my own balls to start getting a feel for things. I would say it went decent. My contact was good but distance control is off. I had a couple good shots but most left room for improvement. Of course so does my normal chipping, so I feel like I'm in a better place now.

 

I went back to the range and hit partial PWs. Just grooving the feel of the swing. Very solid results overall. High ball flight, the sound of solid contact, and small divots. I stayed in a pattern of hitting a number of partial shots and then taking a couple full swings. Take more partial shots, maybe with a different club, rinse and repeat. I will be sticking with a majority of my shots being partial ones. I feel like it's better for me overall at this time and maybe forever.

 

I hit two full 4i shots. I almost never use my 4i on the course. The first was a lower draw that just took off. The second one was a mid height fade that also took off and just dropped at the end. I consider that second one to be 'perfect'. Keep in mind I'm a 28 index right now, so the bar may not be super high, but still. I was stoked about those shots.

 

I also hit a few 4ws off the deck. There were some mishits which were low draws that just got a few feet off the ground but I also had a couple great shots. Mid height draws or fades down my line and far.

 

My range is at the top of a hill, so I don't have distances to use. For example I hit my driver near the flag that's supposedly at 230 yards but it's probably a good 20 yards below me. All i can say is i hit more very good shots then i can recall in a long time. Also my 'weak' push fade miss never showed up. It seems to be gone since I started trying this swing method on the range.

 

I don't know how it will play out on the course but I am excited by the change I have seen on the range. I still have a lot of work in front of me. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a magic bullet. I do think that the concepts are valid and so far seem so simple to apply.

 

Happy Happy Joy Joy

[Chip Duffer]

Sounds like a real good range day bortass. Good that you had some time chipping, that will really begin to show on the course.

Congrats on the good results with the driver. That too can really be a big benefit getting a nice drive in play.

Lookimg forward to when it’s safe here to get out again myself. Putting on the sculptured carpet in the office and chipping in the yard is not the same, even if it does kind of scratch the itch.

[bortass]

@Twin2L I agree about the chipping. I expect it to have the biggest impact since I miss a lot of greens. My GIR% should go up though if I can hit the ball like I did on the range yesterday. I mostly try to hit the club that will get me to center. So being a bit short or long will still have me on the green more if I can fix the directional issue. The chipping will always be needed though.

The driver is #3 on the list of impacts. The biggest thing it would do is let me move back a set of tees. The gained yardage over my 4w will be a wash on a few holes because the forward tees are so far forward. But it will help on all of the holes that have the forward tees within 20 yards of the whites. Plus it will just feel good to be playing on the whites

I know what you mean about wanting to play and not being able to. My old course in Maine didn't open until late April. So I'm familiar with being stuck in the winter and early spring and no golf. I don't miss those days at all.

[bortass]

Got out for a quick 9. Took about 84 minutes walking. Weather was sunny, in the 70s, with a pretty good breeze but I can't say it really made a big difference in things.

 

1 - longish par 4, I hit a push slice with my 4w, 173 yards, behind the stand of trees that I seem to like so much on the right side. I have no shot at the green that I want to attempt since a low power chip/punch could catch limbs if it gets 10 feet off the ground by mistake or I'll hit one of the 5 - 6 tree trunks. I take my 7i and hit a low punch back into the fairway. Well that was the plan but I made really good contact and the ball went 105 yards into the left rough behind a tree over there... So no full shot at the green but I'm far enough away and to it's right that I can hit a similar shot with my 5i. I make great contact and the takes off for the green, never more then 5 feet off the ground. It lands short and rolls up and on near the back of the green. Awesome shot IMO. I'm about 22 feet left of the flag and two putt for a 5. A 5 is good on this hole for me.

 

2 - par 3, about 125 - 130. Flag is near the middle and I aim at it with my 7i. I hit a high shot right at the stick. I see it land near the flag and roll forward. I hear a nice shot as two guys in carts drive by. I get to the green and the ball is 4 feet past the hole and my pitch mark is 3 feet in front of the hole. So it released about 7 feet on a 128 yard shot. An awesome shot. I line my putt up and get my birdie, 2.

 

I'm walking to three thinking this is great. A low round is unfolding and part of me is also worried that I'm thinking this way. It's too early to get excited, yada yada.

 

3 - par 3 dogleg right. I hit a push fade with the 4w into the middle right of the fairway, 188 yards. I'm 187 from center and hit 4w again. I hit it fat and dead right into the trees. It catches a branch and drops. So I find my ball on a hill behind trees with no shot at the green. I take my 5i and chip into the fairway. I'm now about 60 yards out and hit a partial GW. Good contact and it carries the bunkers in front of me and lands on the green. I'm about pin high and 7 feet right of the cup and slightly behind it. I two putt, left the first short, for a bogey 6.

 

Not great but it's okay.

 

4, short par 4, about 223 to center. I hit my 4w and it's a push slice. The ball went 183 yards and is in the right rough next to the cart path. So i have to carry the cart path and a bunker to reach the green. It's a slight downhill lie but my feet are flat on the cart path. The hill should deloft my club, so I hit my SW. My contact is decent but I land in the bunker. I figure my SW will work now too. I setup and hit the ball. it drops in the bunker about a foot short of the lip.... It rolls back some and I get it out with my next shot and two putt from 12 feet for a double bogey 6.

 

Not what I had in mind and I'm not happy about things. I should have hit GW in the bunker like I normally do.

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right. I don't trust my 4w because it's a narrow landing area and too far right isn't good. I hit my 7w and it's a low shot down the right side that hits the sideslope and kicks left into the fairway, 187 yards off the tee. I decide to hit my 7w again and it's a push fade that goes too far right. I find the ball on land inside the area of the stream but it's on some big rocks. No way am I taking a shot with rocks like that in play. I drop and have to pitch a low shot at the green. I use my 9i and block it right into some sort of metal box. I take releif and use my niblick for the first time on the course. I make good contact but come up short and barely on. The flag is about 26 feet from my ball and I three putt for an 8.

 

Blah. Need I say more?

 

6 - par 4, slight dogleg left. I aim left with my 4w because I'm going right with my woods. I hit a low push into the sideslope of the right side that barely kicks the ball into the fairway, 175 yards. I'm about 120 out and hit my 8i. I blade it low and right, not a shank. So I'm not right of the green and blade my niblick almost into the trees on the left side of the green. I use the niblick again and get on the green. I'm 36 feet out and leave my putt short. I do make the next for a double bogey 6.

 

I'm walking to 7 thinking about teeing off with my driver. It's the widest fairway on the course and the forward tees are only a couple of yards in front of the whites. I get to the tee box and the wind is strong and right in my face.

 

7 - par 4, slight dogleg right with an elevated tee shot. I stick with my 4w and hit a dead pull into the left rough 171 yards. I'm 180ish out and hit 4w again. I figure even if I top it, i'll be in iron range. So I top it 63 yards. Now I'm about 120 -130 out and going into the wind. I decide to hit my 7i and i blade it 94 yards, short of the left greenside bunker. Hmmm.... I use the niblick to pitch over the bunker and on the green.The shot went about 46 yards and I'm 14 feet past the hole. i have no real complaints with that shot at all. So i two putt for a double bogey 6.

 

8 - par 3, elevated tee shot. Middle of the green is 130 and wind in my face. I kinda figure the wind and elevation will negate each other and hit my 7i. It's a slight push, off the heel, that goes 136 yards, and stops in the right rough about 2 feet off the green. I use my putter to chip and I get the ball 3 feet past the hole on the low side. Another 2 putt for bogey 4.

 

9 - par 4 with water on the left as you get near the green. I have used my 7w the last few times and stay with it. i hit a high push fade into the left rough of #1 again. Shot went about 150 into the wind. I'm dead behind trees... So I chip into the fairway with my 8i. I'm 130ish from center and 140 to the back. There's a pond I have to carry and wind is in my face. My 6i should be fine but I go with my 5i. I want to be long, not short. I swing and blade it in the pond. I drop about 90 yards from center and hit my PW. I catch that real thin too and it goes through the green. So now I'm on a mound at the back left of the green and there is a tier in the green to deal with with a pond behind that. I chip with my niblick and it's pretty good. it catches the slope of the tier and rolls all the way to the front edge of the green. I'm about 14 feet below the hole now and sink the putt for a smooth 7.

 

If my math is right I shot a 50. I started great and fell apart. I am very happy with some shots but left a lot on the table. However I am trying something new with my swing and there will be growing pains. the fact I never hit the weak push fade off the toe of my irons was nice. The shot on #2 with my 7i was near perfect too. So i'll just keep on the current path and work on things. I really like the potential I see with this swing method. i also expect growing pains with the niblick as I start to actually use it on the course.

 

So not a great round but I'm okay with it. have a good one.

 

[bortass]

I hope you all had a good weekend. I got in 9 on Friday and it wasn't great. My ball striking was all over the map. Some good, some bad. I was scrambling again. A number of blades and tops again. I got a par on #9 which is a rarity for me. I had 2 bogeys, 5 doubles, and a triple on #2, par 3. On #2, I missed well right, pitched through the green, did it again, got on with my third chip and two putted, lol. So it was a 51. One thing I am okay with is the fact that I managed to avoid more triples when I started to mess up full shots. I'm getting damage control practice, lol. Add in I've added the niblick for shortgame use and need to get used to it, along with trying to go down the MDLT swing path, and I am going to have struggles in the short term that I expect to pay dividends later.

 

I got in some range time yesterday. The majority of my shots were pitches with the niblick. Partial shots are where I seem to be able to focus on my tempo more. These went very well IMO, hopefully I can translate that shot to the course, lol. I did some full irons and driver mixed in. The driver was maybe 50/50. Still not really good enough for me to consider using it much. The irons were okay with some real good ones and the rest were a bit thin. they were playable though, as in they went straight. It seems the thing I need to groove is the start of the downswing with my arms on full swings. This is a foreign concept to me and when I remember to do it, I seem to have better results.

 

I didn't have a chance to work on my sand shots or chipping on the green since they shutdown early with the storms that were rolling into the area. My sand game is not fairing well of late with the lack of practice. I need to get on it again.

 

I played 18 on Saturday and will post that in a bit. I am trying to avoid creating walls of text when I have multiple 'updates'. Things get lost that way. As always any questions, comments, or criticisms are appreciated.

 

[bortass]

Saturday was in the 40s when I left the house and it was in the 70s by noon. Sunny day, not too hot, and dry. A really great day to be outside. I consider it to be perfect weather. I walked again but brought snacks with me this time. I did not fall off at the end of my round like I did the previous two weeks that I walked 18. Right now I am assuming that they helped. I don't feel tired after walking 18, even though I am very out of shape. (Insert round is a shape joke here). So I'm wondering if the food helps with the mental side of things. I dunno and one week could be an outlier but I plan to continue to bring a little something with me when I play 18.

 

1 - straight par 4, gps says it was about 373 to center from the front tees. I consider this a par 5 since my second shot is almost always between 185-200 yards out. Hitting a green with my 4w off the deck is not high odds. I tee off with said 4w and it just a slight push fade, 184 yards into the fairway on the right of center. I have a clear shot at the green, with none of the tree shenanigans that i seem to deal with. I aim to the left side of the green since that's the side with no bunkers fronting it. I'm around 190 out and hit 4w. It's a big push fade that misses the green well right, lol. The shot itself was 171 yards and I am past the front of the green. I'm sitting under a small tree on bare dirt but the lie is fine and I have nothing impeding my swing or ball flight. I chip with the niblick and make good contact. It flies the way I want but I'm short. Always a but, it seems. I use my putter from the fringe and two putt from about 6 feet for a double bogey 6.

 

2 - par 3, bunkers fronting both the left and right side. Forward flag and I've been using my 7i here and stay with it. I blade it and it's a worm burner that rolls 107 yards and stops short of the left front bunker. Sweet! I have to pitch over the entire bunker and use my niblick. I make good contact again and it clears the bunker and i'm about 19 feet from the hole. The shot itself was about 24 yards and it's blind since I'm below the green and can't see my landing zone. Overall, not too bad in my book. I two putt for a bogey 4.

 

So a reasonable start score wise even with my swing being off.

 

3 - par 5, dogleg right. I aim left since I have been hitting push fades off the tee lately. it's a low snap hook with my 4w, 165 yards, into the left rough between the two fairway bunkers out there. Sigh. My lie is okay, amybe a touch below my feet and I'm about 260 out. I really made this hole longer. No need to be dumb, so I just hit my 6i. I make okay contact and it's a mid height draw about 129 yards into the fairway. I'm 135 out or so and hit my 6i again. I chunk the shot, striking about 4 inches behind the ball, and it goes 86 yards. I use my niblick to pitch again and make good contact. It lands on the green, on the slope of the tier and rolls back some. My shot went about 34 yards and I'm about 36 feet below the flag now. The flag is on the top level and I hit my putt. I completely misread the putt and I don't understand it. The slope of the green is right to left. So the tier slope is lower on the right and gets higher/steeper as you move left. I expect the ball to break left some and it breaks way right, as in I am now 8 feet right of the cup... I don't get it. I have missed many puts but not 8 feet in the wrong direction like that. Long or short, sure... It turns into a 3 putt 7, double bogey.

 

I feel let down by the previous hole. I normal do well on it of late.

 

4 - short par 4, slight dogleg right, 230 to center from the forward tees. I aim a touch left with my 4w and hit a pull into the left rough, 170 yards. I made the hole longer and am about 70ish from center. I hit a partial PW. Contact is decent and the ball lands on the green and stops 20 feet past the hole. I pull out a two putt par!

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right. This fairway gets narrow in the landing area near the corner before opening up. I leave the 4w in my bag and hit my 7w instead. It's a low push that hits the sdieslope on the right side of the cart path and it kicks left into the fairway, about 153 yards off the tee. I lost a lot of distance, well 20 or so yards, by slamming the shot into the slope like I did. It wasn't a glancing impact that would kick the ball forward and left. There is no need for me to hit a wood from where I am. I don't like the odd and hit my 6i. It's a mid height draw that goes 136 into the fairway, right of center. I'm just inside the 150 marker. I hit my 5i and it's a mishit that misses right. I have a long chip and use my niblick. The ball goes about 15 yards but I'm about 24 feet short. I two putt for a bogey 6.

 

I'm not playing great but I'm keeping things as doubles or better at least.

 

6 - par 4, I hit my 4w and it's a pop up. I can't recall the last time I hit a pop up off the tee. It looked like a nice high short iron that went all of 124 yards. I'm in the fairway and can't reach the green unless I nut my 4w. I hit my 4w and mishit it 131 yards. So I'm still in the fairway and about 50ish from center. I hit a partial SW on the green, 48 yards. I'm 21 feet past the hole and two putt for a bogey.

 

7 - par 4, slight dogleg right with an elevated tee shot. One of the widest fairways on the course, so I pull my driver out of the bag and aim leftish. I hit a nice pull slice that almost goes OoB. 148 yard shot, just not worth it. I punch out sideways with my 7i into the fairway. I'm about 165-175 out and hit my 7w. It's fat and rolls 81 yards, staying in the fairway. I hit a full PW 92 yards and I'm on the green near the back. The shot came out a bit low and I'm 36 feet past the hole. I manage another 2 putt for a double bogey. So I kinda recovered from my tee shot but using driver likely cost me a full stroke on this hole. My 4w could have gone to the same place but i don't tend to hit as big of a push slice with it.

 

8 - par 3, 130 to center or so. This tee shot is elevated by about 10 yardas and the flag is front. I have been using my 7i but opt for my 8i instead. I hit a high pull draw to the left on the green. the ball lands on the cart path and takes a big bounce into the bushes on the left... No sign of my ball and it's marked as a hazard so i take a drop. I proceed to blade my niblick into the right green side bunker... I just pick up and take an X. I enter a 4 for GHIN purposes. The odds are I'm looking at a 6 with my 4th shot getting on the green and me 2 putting. I didn't feel like holding my group up.

 

I'm not happy with what just transpired. I eat some nuts as I make the long walk to the 9th tee box. I mention this because I manage in inhale a small piece of nut and spend most of the 9th hole with a coughing fit which isn't good in these times...

 

9 - par 4, water on the left as you get near the green. I tee off with 7w again since my 4w can go in the water if I hit it well and left. I am safe from the water with my stock high push fade into the left rough of #1, 149 yards. #1 is to the right of #9. I've never explicitly mentioned that before I don't think. So I'm in my 'normal' location off the tee. I take my 8i and chip the ball 41 yards into the fairway. The flag is forward and I'm 125ish from center. I hit my 7i and I'm on the green and about 18 feet past and right of the hole on the upper tier. I misread my putt a little. I tap the ball and it stops about hole high 2 feet on the high side. I make the next for a bogey.

 

10 - par 4, dogleg left elevated tee shot. I hit a high push into the right trees, 169 yards, with my 4w. More awesomeness. We find the ball and I have a decent lie and clear shot out of the trees but not at the green. I just punch a partial 7i 83 yards to the left side of the fairway. The green is above me and I'm about 120ish out. I hit my 7i and it's a decent shot that goes 115 yards and onto the green. I'm about 34 feet past and well right of the flag. I pull a sweet three putt outta my butt for a double bogey 6.

 

11 - shorter par 4, dogleg left with a stream to be carried. I stay with the 5i I have been hitting off the tee on this hole. I top it 83 yards into the fairway. I'm 190 or so out with the green below me on the other side of a stream that's a good 8-10 yards wide. A great 4w would make it but heck no. I punch a 8i about 113 yards to near the bottom of the slope, short of the stream. I'm 60ish from center and hit a partial SW. it goes 56 yards and lands on the green and rolls through it on the right side and in the fringe. I use my putter and chip the ball to 5 feet. I make this putt for a bogey 5. Not bad after losing a shot off the tee with a mishit 5i.

 

12 - par 4, dogleg left. You can't see this green off the tee. I hita push fade with my 4w into the fairway on the right side past the corner. So I made the hole longer but I'm in play. The green is above me and I'm probably 145ish out. There's a bunker short of the green that I do not want to be in. I go with my 5i and I chunk it 84 yards closer to the hole and in the fairway. I'm in that 50ish yard range again and hit a partial SW 44 yards and on the green. I'm 18 feet from the flag, a bit short and mostly to the left. I have another two putt for a bogey 5.

 

Not horrible so far. I'm not hitting the ball well but I am keeping the scores reasonable. So I'm good with things so far.

 

13 - par 3, about 125ish up hill. There are two bunkers, one each short left and right. Another long and left. The flag looks forward again and i tee off with my 7i. I blade a pull worm burner to the left 97 yards. Another amazing shot by me today. I'm to the left side of the left bunker and have to carry it. I use my niblick and pitch the ball 28 yards onto the green and 5 feet from the cup. An awesome shot for me! I read my putt and miss it low and a bit long. I make the next one for a bogey 4.

 

14 - par 5, water on the right as you get closer to the green. I fell apart on this hole last week, though I had a debacle on 12 leading into it. I hit a low shot with my 4w, 164 yards, into the fairway. It was a bit weak... I don't like 4w for my next shot because of the water if I go right. I hit my 7w and it's a great low draw down the left side 186 yards. I'm in the fairway and about 90 from center. i have to carry the corner of the water to go for the flag or i can bail to the left. I take my PW and aim for the flag. I hit a high push fade off the toe and into the pond. Figures, I haven't had that miss with an iron in a while and it pops up now. I drop and hit a partial SW onto the green. My aim is off and i'm about 50+ feet right of the flag. I proceed to three putt since I left the first well short for a triple bogey 8.

 

My first blow up on the back. I guess I should have played safe but I thought I could handle a 90 yard shot. At some point I need to get more aggressive and not always play completely safe in a way that costs me strokes. A shot of this length should be okay for me to try to be more aggressive. Oh well.

 

15 - shorter par 4 with an elevated tee shot and a small stream to carry. I hit a decent true fade with my 4w, 176 yards into the fairway. There's a fairway bunker near the green and two green side bunkes one left and the other to the right. I'm in that 70ish yard range and hit a partial PW. I blade the ball into the front lip of the fairway bunker and it pops up and over, coming to a rest in the section of fairway leading between the green side bunkers up to the green. I chip the ball about 28 yards with the niblick and I'm about 16 feet short and left of the flag. I hit my putt within a couple of feet and get a bogey 5.

 

16 - par 3, stream carry that's about 90 - 100 yards off the tee. The flag is forwardish and the green is slightly elevated. I feel good with hitting my 7i here. I blade it a couple feet off the ground. Watch as it rockets down into the stream and pops back up on the far side and it stops short of a green side bunker. LOL. I pitch my niblick and barely make it past the bunker in the air and my ball stops short of rolling back in. I guess i want to flirt with disaster this hole. I am able to use my putter for the chip and I leave the ball inside a foot, so I have a bogey 4.

 

17 - par 4, slight dogleg left. I hit a high push slice with my 4w into the right trees, 181 yards. We find the ball and I have a shot out and at the green. There is a rise with two bunkers in front of me. A wood is out of the question. i punch my 5i and it's a great low draw. 156 yards and short of the green. Maybe my 4i could have made it but I'm fine with this shot. I'm in the fairway, the flag is to my right and there's a corner of a bunker to deal with. I pitch on with my niblick. It's a nice high shot that lands on the green. I can't see the green itself, so I'm not sure what it does but I'm 8 feet to the left of the flag. I two putt for a bogey 5.

 

18 - par 5 with a stream and pond to deal with. The tee shot is elevated and I hit my 4w> It's a weak push that goes 160 yards into the fairway. maybe I can whack my 4w over the stream but I still have no good idea about the carry required. I aim left and lay up with a punched 7i that goes 117 yards. I'm on the left side of the fairway now and well short of the stream, as I planned. The green is in 4w range but that requires carrying the stream in front of me and the pond fronting the green. I aim well left and hit my 7w. It's a solid fade that goes 164 yards. I'm inside 50 yards to center with the flag being closer to me. I pitch with my niblick and it lands on the green and rolls up to the back tier and starts to come back but stops just short of the downslope. So I'm on the wrong tier and 21 feet past the hole. I aim well right, pretty much aiming across the line of the tier to get the ball closer to the relative position of the flag and let it trickle down to it. I hit the putt and it does what I want, mostly. I miss long and it rolls a good distance past the flag. So it turns into a 3 putt double bogey.

 

So depending on how you count the X I have either a 48-50/49 for something in the 97-99 range. For GHIN it was a 97. Arccos has me at a 98. The actual number doesn't matter too much in the end. I wasn't gonna go low and it's an okay round.

 

This is another round where my ball striking is all over the map. I do manage to scramble around and only screw up on two holes. #8 and #14. I have 2 triples, 7 doubles, 8 bogeys and one par. My lower rounds of 94 would have me getting a few more pars to lower the score but I'd probably blow up just as many times. I feel like I am avoiding the wild swings over my last 36 holes but I'm on the high side of consistency. Not exactly where I want to be. I have no real complaints though with what I'm trying to do right now.

 

Thanks for reading and I hope all is well with everything going on right now.

[Chip Duffer]

It looks like continuing to practice target areas will be to your benefit as it will the rest of us. It seems that getting the tee shot in play, second shots and putting are areas where you can make the most dramatic improvement in your scores.

I know when i’m In play off the tee I see significantly lower scores. I’m sure you’ll find your way with your continued focus. Especially as you get more comfortable with the swing changes you’re making.

[bortass]

@Twin2L Getting the tee shot in play is probably the most important thing to do. I'm sure someone can make an argument that there's something else that's more important but it seems to me that not much else matters if you are playing from the trees or taking drops. I have taken a step backwards in this area lately. I had been hitting about 70% of my fairways with the 4w. My last 36 holes has it closer to 50%. That's not good but I feel that the step backwards will be worth it.

The swing change has done one very helpful thing. Impact has moved from the toe to the heel in my irons. I assume it's that way with my woods too but have no evidence to support it. The change in my irons is important because my main miss was the weak high push fade off the toe. I'm playing blades and there's no mass out there, so I lose a fair amount of distance with that mishit. The high push fade is always short and short can be very bad when there's water involved. The pure 7i I hit a few weeks ago went about 20 yards longer then expected, after I removed 10 yards for the elevation. I'm not expecting to hit it pure that often but impact closer to the heel and sweet spot should net me a yardage gain across my irons.

The cost is I have some different flight patterns and misses. My predominant draw that was starting to return on my tee shots is gone. I'm back to hitting fades with push fade/slices as misses. I can still hit the odd draw and miss left with a pull hook though, lol. With my irons, the miss seems to be mostly around impact, chunks or skulls. All of these misses will work themselves out as I continue to work on it.

Of course that's when I'll start all over again with the driver. I expect to hit a rough patch when I finally start to head down the path of using it on the course. It'll be worth it in the long run though. I will need the extra distance when I move back to the whites.

[bortass]

I have a lot of numbers available to me thanks to Arccos. I thought I had posted some here to track my progress but I can't find it. So as of today here are some numbers. I'll repost them again sometime in May unless I get a lot of rounds in to see what kind of progress I'm making. Analytical types would love what you can get from Arccos, lol.

Arccos handicaps for my last 10 rounds:

Overall, this is what Arccos thinks I play like based on all of the individual areas and it uses strokes gained: 26.4 trending down

Driving: 29.3, trending up 0.8

Approach: 29.1, flat trend, lol

Chipping: 20.9, trending down 6.5. I'm getting a bit better here.

Sand: 19.8, trending up 7, lol. My sand game is getting worse and I've commented on it

Putting 21.2, trending up 2.7

 

My overall dashboard which is EDIT - this is actually based on my 10 best rounds has:

Average Score:

par 3: 4.4

par 4: 5.9

par 5: 7.0

 

Scoring breakdown:

birdies: 1.6%

pars: 12.2%

bogeys: 30.6%

double+: 55.7%

 

Driving Range, this is what Arccos says I can expect on a normal, non mishit shot:

173 - 194 average is 185

 

Driving accuracy:

Center 57.8%

Left: 14.6%

Right: 27.6%

 

Approach, this is all shots outside of 50 yards except for tee shots. So needs to be taken with a grain of salt since a shot from 250 on a par 5 is counted in this:

GIR: 14.8%

Left: 7.2%

Right: 13%

Short: 59.8%

[bortass]

Something different today. Here are the aerial views of #9 and #18. It has my shots for the Saturday round I posted on them. I thought since i've tried to describe the holes some in my posts, I may as well show you a picture of them. Maybe I'll do a 9 hole round using the pictures, that way you guys can actually see the course for a change. Let me know if that's something you'd like to see.

The club that saws 55 is my niblick BTW.

#9 - The hole 'south' of 9 is #1. That little clump of trees between the tee box of 9 and where my 7w landed are the trees on the right that i talk about when I am playing #1.

#18

[bortass]

I managed a quick 9. It was sunny, in the low 60s when I teed off and about 67ish when I finished. There was a decent wind today too. Enough to blow my hat off a couple times even though I had it pretty tight.

 

1 - par 4, I aim left with my 4w and hit a pull draw into the left rough, 183 yards off the tee. I'm 190ish from center with a good lie. I aim left of the green where there's no bunker. I hit a low draw where I'm aimed. I can't see the ball after it hit the ground until I saw it rolling back down the slope fronting the green. There's a drain about 2 feet in diameter there, so it's pretty steep. The shot went 163 after rolling back. The flag is on the right side and i'm left. I can chip in a way to avoid the right side bunker but that means I'm not going at the pin. I chip with the niblick and blade it. It hits a small hump near the bunker and rolls through the green. So now I'm in the fringe about 4 feet off the green but near the flag. I chip again with my putter and get it to 6 inches. So I have an easy bogey 5. Good start to the round.

 

2 - par 3, 130ish. I hit my 7i and it's a high draw that goes 133 and lands on the green and stops about 15 feet past the hole. I get my birdie putt close and settle for a par.

 

I'm walking to 3 thinking I'm level 4s. Don't ask me why and I'm not sure i should be thinking that way.

 

3 - par 5, dogleg right. I aim a bit left with my 4w and it's a complete mishit. Weak and off the toe. It's a push draw that goes onto the slope that's right of the cart path and stops in the cart path, 103 yards off the tee. See what happens when you think it's gonna be a good day? I take relief and my lie is fine in the rough. I'm 268 from center but can't really go at it. I take my 4w and hit it towards the left side of the green. It's a great low draw, 195 yards. I'm about 70 yards from center and the flag is back right behind the bunkers. I decide to hit a partial PW. I hit a wormburner pull into one of the bunkers right of the green. I take my GW and walk into the bunker to my ball. The sand has a hard crust on it. I'm no petite flower and I'm not leaving footprints.... The lip is also very low. So i go back to my push cart and get the niblick and chip out. I make good contact and end up about 7 feet past the hole. I look at my putt and sink it for par, 5.

 

I'm walking to 4 thinking this could be a good round still.

 

4 - par 4, forward tees so about 220ish to center. I aim left with my 4w and hit another good low draw, 200 yards. I guess I'm not going right off the tee today... I'm left and short of the green. There are a couple bunkers on that side but my ball has a line between them down a strip of grass a few yards wide. The flag is more front right and a direct path brings a bunker in play. I chip with the niblick down the strip and mishit it but the ball stays on the green about 28 feet above the hole. I manage a two putt par.

 

I'm walking to 5 thinking don't aim left anymore and things are looking real good.

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right. I aim more centerish with the 4w and tee off. I hit a mid push draw that hits the slope that's to the right of the cartpath near the top where it's flat. The ball rolls left and ends up in the fairway but I lost a good amount of distance. The shot only went 159 yards but I'm in the short grass. You can't go at the green from here but everything look good for my 7w. I hit a low draw 193 yards down the fairway. I nutted it and got a bunch of roll.... I'm about 90ish from center. The flag is forward right on the lower tier, so long is not good. I hit my PW and it's a touch thin. It lands on the green and releases left of the flag a good 30 feet. Well it's a GIR and a birdie putt. I hit my putt and the ball dies a couple feet short of the flag and breaks hard to end up a few feet out on the low side. I make my par putt and move on.

 

Okay, I don't know what to make of this. I'm thinking low round... I get to 6 and have to wait a bit to tee off. I caught a foursome that i didn't know were in front of me.

 

6 - par 4, houses to the right. I aim a bit left and hit a low draw down my line.... There's a fairway bunker on the left side that kinda marks the inside corner of the slight dogleg left. My ball goes over the ridge in the air a few yards to the right of it. I find my ball barely in the fairway on the left, 198 yards off the tee. I'm 90ish from center and there's a bunker between me and the flag. I aim right more trying to avoid the bunker and just get on the green. I hit my PW and it's a low push that rolls through the green and stops in the back fringe, 97 yards. I'm think that's okay as I walk to the green. I get there and it's not. I'm back right of the flag and there is a hump in the fringe that feeds into the green. The flag is front left on the other side of said hump. I aim real high and use my putter. The ball breaks hard left and has not chance to get to the hole. The slope of the green helps the ball feed to the front right. So I have a 27 foot putt for par... Blah. My par putt is a couple of feet short but I save a bogey.

 

More thoughts of a really good round are going through my head as I walk to 7. I get to 7 and the foursome in front of me has teed off already and are in the fairway. They yell and wave for me to play through.... Great, i have an audience.

 

7 - par 4, slight dogleg right with and elevated tee shot. I aim normally this time and hit a great draw down the right center. I see it land in the fairway. I get to my ball and I'm in the fairway just left of center, 224 yards off the tee..... I really got some roll. I'm 120ish from center and have to carry a bunker because the pin is on the left. The right side is open though. So I aim a bit to the right of the flag and hit a low push draw with my 7i. Arccos says the shot went 121 yards but I'm at the back of the green, soI may have gone further but don't know. ANyhow I'm about 48 feet past and right of the hole. My putt will break left to right. I hit it and the ball slows down near the hole and starts to break pretty hard right at it. The ball dies about a foot out... So close to a birdie! I take my par and head to 8

 

Okay, great round is going through my head. I know i'm 2 over through 7. This is uncharted territory for me. I feel oddly calm though.

 

8 - par 3, elevated tee shot and about 130 to center. The flag is near the middle and I have been hitting 7i here unless it's a forward flag. The wind is in my face but I stay with the 7i. I know if I hit it great I'll be near the back of the green and figure the wind and hill will offset. I hit a high draw that lands short and left of the flag and it releases left and past the flag, 138 yards. I'm about 4 feet past the back of the flag and to the left, 15 feet total. My pitch mark was about 4 feet short and left of the flag, so it rolled out some but not terrible. I look at my birdie putt and leave it short! I'm maybe 2 feet out and sink my par putt.

 

I make the long walk to the 9th tee. I'm +2 through 8. I have a great round, my best ever. I just need to play decently on 9. I don't feel any nerves that i can recall. Just the fact I need to be smart.

 

9 - par 4, water on the left as you get close to the green See the image in the previous post... I'm going into the wind and tee off with my 7w. I'm not sure what i do but it's a weak pop up push that goes 126 yards into the right rough. I'm 170ish out and the flag is on the left. Maybe a real good 7w will make it. I take my 5i and decide to hit that little punch down the right side that I did my last two rounds. I blade the ball and it's a pull that rolls 106 yards to the left and into the pond.... Sigh. I drop and have 50ish to center, the pond is between me and the flag. I decide on a partial GW and aim right to avoid as much pond as I can. I don't know what I did but it's a low draw that carried the entire green and the bunker behind it. The ball went 82 yards.... So i have a chip from an elevated position, over a bunker, onto a green that slopes away from me and has a tier in it. the flag is on the lower tier..,. I have an awkward stance thanks to the bunker and have to choke down on my niblick. I take a small swing and make good contact. The ball carries the bunker, lands on the fringe and rolls to the tier where it picks up speed and rolls through the green, stopping in the rough short of the pond, lol. I juse my putter to chip to about 3 feet and manage to make the putt to save my triple bogey 7.

 

I don't know what to say really. I shot a 41 which is the lowest 9 ever for me, a new PR. The 5i on #9 was the wrong play. I should have attempted the same shot with a shorter club to just get closer to the green and setting up a third shot, which I was gonna have anyhow.

 

My short game was okay I guess. I was real close to all the greens or actually on them in regulation. I hit 5/9 greens..... My swing wasn't perfect all round but it wasn't bad except for a few shots. Tee shots on 3 and 9 and the 5i on 9.

 

I like the fact that I didn't spit the bit at the end of the round from pressure. At least it wasn't the pressure I have felt in the past when I know I'm playing well and just need a bogey at the end. I kind of felt the same way I did the other week when I shot that 44. I was just out playing golf. Such a good feeling.

 

So now I know I can shoot under a 42 for 9. That tells me I do still have the potential to break 85. Don't get me wrong, shooting a 43 on the back wouldn't be easy for me. I'm not about to say if i kept playing I'd have done it. I still remember the day I went 54/45 for a 99, lol

[bortass]

Okay picture time. May as well show what the front 9 looks like and where my shots went today. The one on #7 is off. My first putt was from near the back right of the green. Not sure why it didn't register that way but whatever...

Oh, I was able to fish my ball out of the pond with an iron. So I have the ball that I used for all but the final 4 strokes of my round, lol.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

 

[SNIPERBBB]

Your 2nd shot on nine... Thats why when when you need to layup, layup. Dont hit anything that can reach the trouble.

[Chip Duffer]

Really looks like a solid, well played 9 hole round bortass. Really nice recovery on 3 where the potential was there for the wheels to fall off, so to speak. The penalty on 9 was unfortunate, but looking at the shots, it looks like you executed your plan very well. Beyond that you made several shot shots that really made a difference on the card. No 3 putts, a few one putts and made the 2 and three footers to save par.

The visuals really help see just how well you did!

Well done!

 

[bortass]

I agree. The plan was to go down the right side of the fairway along the tree line. I completely mishit the ball with a worm burner pull. I wasn't set up to go towards the pond but did. I wasn't making the green with my second shot, so I think I should have attempted the same shot down the right side with an 8i. That shot has lower risk but I still would have probably put it in the pond if I made the same mishit. I feel like this was a good learning moment. though.
@Twin2L Thanks! The images do help see what I am trying to describe without writing a book, lol. It's pretty easy to do, so I may do it again once in a while.

I agree about #3. I was kind of thinking here we go after I hit the tee shot. The forward tees are so far forward that I can get within 20 yards of the green with 2 good 4w shots. So when I'm not near it in 2, I feel like I am missing my best birdie chance on the course. It's an odd feeling for me, lol.

This is just my opinion as everything I ever type is. The biggest takeaway from the round was my mental state. I didn't feel excited nor nervous. I wasn't on the 9th tee thinking 'all I need is to make a bogey to break 40' and feeling butterflies. I was very happy to be playing that good. It is truly an anomaly for me. I feel like I took it at face value on the course. I felt great about how I was playing but I wasn't getting all amped up and 'OMG I'm gonna do my best ever!!!!' Maybe that's what they mean about staying in the moment but I'm not sure.

The 5i into the pond on #9 was interesting too. My first thought was along the lines of 'I should have hit a shorter club. The 5i was too greedy.' It wasn't 'Crap, really? Way to screw it up, dumb@ss'. I don't really understand the partial GW that went 80 yards. It was a lower draw that carried all the way to where it ended up. I tend to hit that shot around 60 yards. My thoughts are adrenaline or I delofted the club/swung harder than normal....

I have no expectations on the future. I don't know if any of the people that are reading this thread were around when I was writing my breaking 100 one. Very early on in that thread I took a lesson. The next day I played 9 before work with coworkers, we had a standing 9 hole round each week. I shot a 45, ended my round birdie, par, birdie. I would have been a 36R index if I had one at the time. My goal at the time was to get under 50 for 9. I did it inside of 3-4 weeks. I thought I was all set. I was wrong. I didn't break 100 for another 2 years. That round was a flash in the pan. at the time.

This round isn't a flash in the pan. It's a sign of potential. I wasn't 100% on, but I was pretty close. My ball striking was some of the best I can recall but I don't feel like it was a miracle. It's how I used to play when I was decent. So I don't expect to tear it up my next outing but if I get things rolling, I won't be shocked. The guys I play with might be but that's a separate issue...

[bpink21901]

Nice round..... I see some real improvement on course management from the early posts in this thread to the recent ones!

If what you are typing is the thought stream you had while playing i think you are still too focused on the score rather than executing a shot. It's not easy but forgetting what you are scoring on a hole. the last hole, what you need for the next hole to shoot a number is what I'd recommend. Focus on executing the shot in front of you and forget about what got your there, good or bad.

Keep on playing! (I hate to say grinding because then it sounds like work! )

[bortass]

@bpink21901 Thanks! Course management is fun especially as it matures based on improvement. I don't think I have used a wood off the deck this much before and they are paying dividends for me.

The thought process I type is mostly walking between holes. I put that in to try show my overall mood and what's going through my head as the round unfolds. I tend to be focused on playing the hole as I'm playing it. My thought comments during the hole tend to be those that I have after hitting a shot and I'm walking to my ball. So while playing I'll think great drive as I walk to my ball. Figure out my next shot. Top it 80 yards and think that was a wasted drive as I head to my next shot. Figure this shot out and see what happens. My main bad habits while playing a hole are trying to figure out why a mishit happened and when I get frustrated by a bad shot. I do try and not dwell on it though. By the same token, if it's a good shot I try to enjoy it as much as I can. The whole positive reinforcement thing

The score focus isn't great. I know that very well from my attempts to break 100 and 90. It tends to cause either too much excitement or blows a set back way out of proportion. This time around, like a couple weeks ago, I felt calm on the course even knowing where I was. I'm still a guy that doesn't add numbers until the round is over. It was hard Wednesday because when you keep shooting pars with two bogeys, the end number gets kind of obvious. There was no way for me to ignore that I was plus 2. I am thankful that I was able to enjoy it as it happened and didn't get all nervous. The guys that let me through made comments about my drive and my first putt from 48 feet that i left just a little bit short. My comment after thanking them a number of times was I seemed to have caught lightning in a bottle. You have got to try to enjoy those moments because who knows when it'll happen again?

I am confident that I can do it again. I wasn't throwing darts out there and making long miracle putts all day long. It shows me what I can do and I don't think I have hit my skill ceiling yet, so I can either do it more often or even do better.

[bortass]

I hit the range Thursday and Friday. I made sure to practice some bunker shots each time. Those came out okay. On the range things were so so. Some good, some bad. Struggled with thin shots. Played around with the driver both days and I found I get better results if I'm more upright. Still not at a point to really try it out on the course though.

 

I played 18 with the guys Saturday. It started out overcast, probably in the high 50s/low 60 and the round ended with full sun and around 72 or so. Winds was about 10 MPH with higher gusts pushing 20. I warmed up on the range before hand and it was so so like the previous two range sessions.

 

1 - par 4, I hit a big push slice with my 4w, 193 yards, into the 9th fairway. Great start! I have a clear path to the green and hit my 4w off the deck. I hit a low draw that goes 178 yards and lands right of the green. The flag is middle back towards the left. I chip with my Niblick and make good contact and get the right ball flight. I didn't swing hard enough and I'm 33 feet short. I'm skittish of blading the ball still... I hit my putt and greens are fast and I go past the hole. I make the next though for a bogey 5.

 

2 - par 3, 125ish to center. Flag is front right behind the right bunker. Wind is coming left to right too. I go with my 7i and hit a high weak push fade, sigh. 106 yards and I'm right of the green by a fair amount. Ichip/pitch with my niblick and blade it 45 yards though the green into the back left bunker. I take my GW into the bunker and setup. I have a good swing and the ball pops out of the bunker, lands on the green and rolls out about 6 feet from the flag. I two putt for a 5...

 

Guess I don't have to worry about a repeat of Wednesday.

 

3 - par 5, slight dogleg right. Wind is still left to right and I hit a high skyball with the 4w that goes 159 yards into the fairway. I have a good line and hit 4w off the deck. It's a low draw that goes 193 and the ball stops near the green to the left of the bunkers. The flag is back right and I have a clear chipping lane without dealing with the bunkers. I chip with the niblick and make good contact. the ball lands on the green and rolls out a little and I'm a good 20 feet short again. Either short or blade it.... I line up my putt and miss low and it rolls a good 5-6 feet past the cup. The greens are much faster today it seems. Two more putts and I have a bogey 6.

 

I not pleased with the results so far but I'm trying to stay positive. Telling myself it's nice out and the previous holes are okay. Basically trying to not feel let down and trying to stay positive.

 

4 - short par 4 with forward tees, so center is 223 or so. I aim over the right fairway bunker at the green. I'm fidgeting with my stance and swing. The 4w hits 4 - 6 inches behind the ball, skids into it, and it's a weak shot 134 yards to the left of the fairway bunker. I hit a fairway, so that's positive right? I'm 90ish from center and the flag is middle back. I go with my PW and make good contact. The ball lands on the right of the green and rolls into the right fringe, 100 yards shot. I can use my putter from the fringe and hit the ball 12 feet past the hole... I tell one of the guys, I'm keeping my pattern, short, long, short, long... I thought I'd have broken this with the putter but no... I'm starting to get that things are faster, lol. I two putt for bogey, 5.

 

5 - par 5, dogleg right. I hit my 4w and it's a low pull, 192 yards and it stops just short of the stream where it runs under the fairway near the corner. I have never been this close to the streambefore and maybe I should start using my 7w off the tee here to be safer. I'm in the rough with a good lie. I'm on the left side so the angles are different. I'm going more down the fairway than across it. Going across it is what I'm used to since I'm more towards center or the right usually. The stream runs down the right side of the fairway from the corner near where i am all the way to by the green. I decide to hit 7w and it's a push fade that goes too far right. it catches a tree limb that overhangs the stream and falls right in...126 yard shot, that would have likely been fine from my 'normal' angles from the right side. So I need to remember to be safer when I am to the left of this fairway off the tee and hit an iron for my next shot. I drop and have no shot at the green because trees along the stream are an issue. I punch my PW 70 yards into the fairway. I'm about 45 - 50 from center. Partial SW time. I take the club back and change my intent midswing... I come down too quickly and shank the ball 45* right, 42 yards, over the cart path that's runs on the right side of the green. The flag is right back on the upper tier. I pitch with the niblick and come up short. The shot itself went 17 yards and I'm off the green by a couple. I use my putter and I aim too low and the ball rolls down the slope of the tier. So I'm about 23 feet below the flag now. This is not good and this entire hole has been shoddy at best. I hit my putt going up the tier and get it inside a few feet and make the next for a nice 9. Lol.

 

I'm disappointed as I walk to 6. I understand the mistakes I made with the 7W and SW. Without those I likely come away with a bogey, double at worse. So i have my first blowup of the day.

 

6 - par 4, slight dogleg left and there's a slight ridge in the fairway that leads down to the green. I hit 4w and smoke a low draw along the curve of the hole and over the ridge. I'm 215 off the tee and in the fairway. The flag is middle front and i have 75 or so to center. I hit a partial PW and it's a fairly high shot that lands on the green and rolls out. 83 yards total, so I'm about 18 feet above and past the flag to the left. I line up the birdie putt and hit it. It tracks for the hole and stops on the high side less than an inch from the cup.... So close! but I have a par after the debacle on #5 and I'm feeling positive again.

 

I'm trying to focus on good things as I walk to 7.

 

7 - par 4, dogleg right, elevated tee shot. I hit a high draw down the right side of the fairway, into the wind, and I don't get a lot of roll, 198 yards. I'm in the fairway on the right and the GPS says the green in 130ish and into the wind. I decide on my 6i and it's a low draw, 139 yards and just through the green and short of the left back bunker. The flag is middle front and there's something odd about my lie. I don't quite recall what it is, I think my stance wasn't level and the ball was below my feet because of a little hump. Anyhow i mishit the chip with my putter and leave the ball 18 feet short... My putt ends up 2 feet out and I have a bogey 5.

 

8 - par 3, elevated tee shot right into a strong wind with gusts. The flag is middle left and I still feel good about my 7i here. I know a pure shot can go almost off the back without the wind. A weaker shot should land near the front with the current wind. At least that's my though process. I hit a high draw with my 7i, 132 yards. It lands on the green near the flag and releases past it and left some. I'm 21 feet out and two putt for par.

 

Things are coming back together the last few holes.

 

9 - par 4 with water on the left as you get near the green. I tee off with my 7w and hit a push slice into #1, 152 yards... Really? I'm looking to lay up and think a punched 7i will work good. I make contact and it's very solid, great looking shot between the trees that lands in the correct fairway and rolls into the pond, lol. Some day i will figure out what club and shot to hit from over here. you'd think i'd have a clue by now since I always seem to be over here but no.... I drop and my pitch with the niblick comes up short. i have a lot of grass to cover and use a putting stroke with the niblick and get about 12 feet from the flag. So I follow that up with a two putt for 7.

 

I'm not happy as I walk to 10. #5 and #9 really hurt.

 

10 - par 4, dogleg left. Elevated tee shot into a fairway that has a little ridge in it. Imagine a W with the center point being lower then the teebox and green. I hit a high draw with the 4w and the wind kills it, 172 yards total. I'm in the fairway near the back top of the middle ridge. the green is above me and a good 185 ish out. The flag is right front, behind the greenside bunker. I have a good lie and it's 4w time! I hit a nice, solid, push slice into the right trees. I realize the dumb decision as I'm walking to where I'll be dropping( tree line is marked with red stakes). This hole gets tight near the green. I'm okay using my 4w when things are more open without major trouble. I take my drop and hit a partial PW 68 yards, over the bunker and on the green. I'm about 14 feet right and in back of the hole and I two putt for a double bogey 6.

 

I should have laid up with an iron.....

 

11 - shorter par 4, dogleg left that slopes down to a stream that must be carried. I have been using 5i off the tee here with good results. I hit a low draw with it right along the curve of the hole and it catches the downslope. I'm 198 yards off the tee, gotta love the run out I got, in the fairway near the bottom of the slope. I'm about 60 from center with a down slope lie. I go with a partial GW and align myself with the slope. I make contact with the ground well behind the ball, as in close to a foot, and it pops into the stream. I'm surprised I didn't hurt my wrists, they did not feel good after the shot. I drop and blade my GW 62 yards over the green. I use my niblick and it's thin and through the green again... I'm in the fringe and use my putter to chip. I get it to 5 feet and two putt for an 8.....

 

Well this is going sideways fast... Three bad holes in a row.

 

12 - par 4 dog leg left, I hit a high draw with the 4w that goes a mighty 157 yards. Wind killed it and it looked like an iron. I'm 150 out and it's uphill with bunkers guarding the front right. The flag is front left and I go with my 5i. I hit a big pull into the slope that's left of the fairway and my ball kicks out right into the fairway, 103 yard shot.... I pitch with my niblick and it goes about 33 yards, and short of the green. I'm in the fringe and use my putter and get it to 3 feet. I made the bogey putt.

 

That's better. I still screwed up but salvaged a bogey.

 

13 - par 3, flag is middle back. Green is slightly elevated and it's about 120 to center. I hit my 8i and it's a high shot that lands on the green. Shot went about 116 yards and I'm back left 18 feet out. The putt breaks left to right and is sloping away from me. I tap the ball and it breaks low and rolls 5 feet past the hole... I didn't think I put much juice on that putt... I barely miss the comebacker and have a three putt bogey.

 

14 - par 5, water on the right as you get near the green and wind is behind me. the fairway slopes downward to the green too. I hit a low draw with the 4w, 202 yards into the fairway. I'm 260ish out and take my 7w out of my bag. A solid shot will get me close without bringing the water in play if I leak a bit right. I'm aiming a bit leftish and hit a real solid shot that's a touch right. 201 yards.... and just short of the pond... My 7w isn't supposed to go that far. The flag is middle right and I pretty much have to carry the pond for any shot at the green. I hit a partial SW about 40 yards onto the green and left of the flag, past it. I'm about 26 feet from the hole. I two putt for par! I'm real happy as I head to 15.

 

15 - shorter par 4, elevated tee shot into a fairway that is cart path only year round. It can be soft. I hit a strong draw with my 4w, 189 yards into the fairway, short of a fairway bunker that's near the green. I have about 60 yards to center and the flag is front left. My shot doesn't need to carry any of the bunker and I hit a partial GW. I chunk it 41 yards, short of the green. Sigh. I use the niblick to chip and i get it to 7 feet and two putt for a bogey 5.

 

A 'wasted' drive.... Still I'm feeling good about the recent set of holes.

 

16 - par 3, into the wind. There's a stream to be carried and the green is above the tee box. The flag is middle front behind a bunker. I'm showing about 130ish to center. I decide to hit my 6i and it's a strong, high draw that goes 135 yards onto the green. I'm 33 feet right of the flag and behind it. I miss my birdie putt just a little high and it goes a couple feet past the hole. I make the par putt though.

 

17 - par 4, slight dogleg left. I hit a push fade with my 4w, 178 yards, short of the first right fairway bunker and it kicks right, over the cart path. Kind of the same area as last week but I have a better lie with no bushes. I have to hit it over the hump that the bunkers are on, so it's a blind shot for me. I wait for the green to clear since it's in range if I catch a really good one. I hit the ball and it's a very solid low draw. It's by the green between the green side bunkers. One of the guys said it rolled near the top of the left bunker before coming back down the slope, so a few more yards and I was likely on the green. The ball ended up 173 yards from where I hit it. I chip with the niblick and it stops 4 feet from the cup! Holy crap, I made a decent chip! I sink the par putt. This is the #6 HCP hole BTW, so it's not like it's an easy one.

 

18 - par 5, with a stream to carry and water by the green. I hit a real bad pull with my 4w, 138 yards into the long grass on the left slope. We find my ball and I hit a punched 6i, 116 yards, onto the cart path. I'm well short of the stream and take relief from the cart path. 7w should work fine. I hit a high push fade right into the pond... Maybe I should have just hit my 6i and it wouldn't have gone so far offline. I'm about 100+ from cneter after my drop and the flag is back right. I hit my 9i and it's a high push that is short and right. Technically I'm on the green. You see there is a strip of green height grass that links the 9th and 18th greens. I have no idea why it's there. i'm 60 feet from the hole and i have to putt through a strip of green, up over a hump of fringe, back onto the green and up to the back tier. This is a place where normally I'd chip. I tell one of the guys that I could chip from here since that's fine according to rules and etiquette to chip on a green. Yeah, no. I'm not gonna do that even if I think it's probably the correct shot based on how this was designed. I give the ball a big whack with my putter and watch it roll over the hump and onto the tier by the flag. I'm within a few feet of the cup. A great first putt and I sink the next one for my double bogey 7.

 

A 49/47, 96. I had two 7s, an 8, and a 9 on the card. My best 18 hole score since coming back is still a 94, which I have shot twice. I made a number of mistakes out there and paid for them but still managed to keep it together and do well for me. I don't feel let down by this round at all. I really expected it. Wednesday's round of 41 was about potential. So I know I can go low but my game isn't at the point to do it a lot.

 

Things are getting better and I'll continue to improve as i work on things and keep playing. I know they were dodgy at times this round but my woods off the deck have been pretty good considering I almost never used a wood off the deck when I was playing years ago.

 

Have a good one and I'll try to do pictures of this round so you can see what the back looks like.

[bortass]

Enjoy the visual round. This way you can see what the back 9 looks like. I don't plan to do this every round. I don't think there's a reason to do so. it's not hard, just don't want to create too much spam, lol.

 

The fun one was 18 where my approach, after going in the pond, landed on the strip of green linking 9 and 18. The image shows were the flag is marked and not where the approach shot landed. I'm kinda bummed by that but oh well. Reading my descriptions above should hopefully give you an idea of where I was roughly when i got on the green.

 

1 - par 4

2 - par 3

3 - par 5

4 - par 4

5 - par 5

6 - par 4

7 - par 4

8 - par 3

9 - par 4

10 - par 4

11 - par 4

12 - par 4

13 - par 3

14 - par 5

15 - par 4

16 -par 3

17 - par 4

18 - par 5

[scooterhd2]

Bortass, my man. These images are very insightful. To be honest, I kind of lost faith in your because you description of your game off the tee box alone sounded so bad. Seems like you found something with the 4 wood here. At your handicap, theres always going to be misses, especially off to the right, but at least you are getting out there a good 175-200 on a good swing. Now the major issue is inside of 60 yards. Everyone can improve putting on of course you should continue to work on that, but these partial wedge shots from 50-60 yards seem to be killing you. If you could consistently get on the green and just average a two putt from these wedge shots you would drop 5 shots easy.

What are we doing lately to work on these partial shots? Check out 9-3 drill. Check out Tommy Fleetwoods 3/4 swing. I suspect we are flipping and not staying committed to the shot. Making sure the body turns and not just the arms. Finishing low and left. Youtube some videos like this one.

[bortass]

@scooterhd2 Good to hear from you again. I figured I lost you because it took me so long to post a swing video, not because I suck ;) Don't get me wrong, I understand the sentiment completely and it's perfectly legitimate. The seven year layoff from golf did not help my game any. I couldn't get off the tee. I couldn't hit an iron off the ground. My sand game sucked. Short game was a disaster (and still is a mess). Only my putting seemed okay but that still has more time to get used to things on the course. I'm learning the greens and am new to bermuda...

Once upon a time, aka 2012, I was a 19 Index who could reliably hit driver 225 off the tee and keep it in play. I was able to shoot 85 a couple times on a 6300 yard course, 67.4 rating, slope of 115. Now I'm playing forward tees of about 5500, 67.3 rating, 121 slope. I'm forward because I can't hit driver and have no ego problems playing forward. The white tees of my current course are about 600 yards, 68.9 rating and 126 slope. I will move back there once I get my driver back under control and my goal is to break 85 from those white tees. It's no given that I can break 85 but I don't feel like I ever hit my skill ceiling. I'm playing a slightly harder course though, so who knows.

I practice partial wedges quite a bit actually and used to be real good with them back in the day. I would say 60 - 80 percent of the shots I take on the range are a partial wedge or pitch. Here is my common routine currently. I will warm up hitting pitches with the niblick. These are swings where my arms are close to parallel with the ground. I will then move on to a similar length swing with either my GW or PW. I will eventually grab a longer club and hit a few full shots. I then go back to either the niblick or a wedge and hit more partial shots. Grab a different club and hit a few full swings and go back to the partial wedges or pitches. For example, I have tried driver my last three range sessions. I hit less then 10 balls with it each time, just looking at the flight and trying to adjust to see if i can correct it. Those are probably the times I have hit the most full shots in a row.

The partial shots help my tempo and just trying to get the feel of pressure against my right forefinger. I don't seem to feel that in a full swing. I am watching my shot shape with these. I expect to hit a fairly high shot that is pretty straight, maybe a slight draw or fade but nothing big. So contact really.

I'm not doing much with 1/4 swings or club parallel to the ground. I used to ages ago when I first read the Short Game Bible. That book is why I carry a number of wedges. What Pelz wrote made sense to me. Now I have lost my stock partial wedge shot from back then. It was hands well ahead of the ball and a steep swing, with power, that takes a big chunk of turf but the ball would get up in the air, travel a reliable distance and stop. It was a great shot. Of course, it's not inline with the full swing changes I'm trying to work on, so I don't practice it. Maybe I should...

Thanks for the video link. I'm about to go watch it.

[scooterhd2]

I used to hit my wedges that way as well, but have been light years better by playing the ball from a neutral position with a shallow swing. Against everything I was told to do, and have nearly eliminated to super fat and thin shots I was experiencing. So dont feel like you need to change things is you are working on positive swing changes that you are committed to. Sometimes constantly trying to change things eliminates any gains and always has you chasing your tail.

they key is to commit to a club and swing concept. "I'm going to choke down a touch and take a half swing with my sand wedge." Practice that a few times on the range. Get comfortable with your feet. Usually they are more narrow, some people like to open the stance a bit. Weight is usually more forward. Be careful because sometimes when our feet are physically closer, people have a tendency to bring their shoulders closer. Wait what? Your shoulder are fixed. Well not if you hunch and round them. Keep your shoulder straight and back wide. Stance and posture is everything here.

In theory, the 3/4 wedge should be your favorite club. The loft reduces side spin so your shots should be straighter. This minimizes faults in the grip where weakness or strength is not as big of a factor. The shorter shaft should minimize swing faults and inconsistencies. The weight forward and more narrow stance should reduce and swaying or reverse pivoting. The shorter backswing should minimize faults deeper in the turn. If you deliver the bounce correctly, you get more wiggle room on controlling the low point of the swing. Everything is there to assist you, so its really just a matter of decent contact. Of course low handicap players are thinking ball flights and spin and landing zones and tiers. But if you can consistently get the ball up in the air in a 20 yard window front to back and a 20 yard window side to side, you should be able to aim for the center of the green and routinely hit the green from whatever your 3/4 wedge distance is. I'm glad you are making this a focal of your practice as I think improvement will help drop your score and will ultimately translate to other elements of your game.

 

[bpink21901]

+1 on the 3/4 wedge comment. If you have a couple wedges then use the same 3/4 swing with each and you have multiple yardages you can handle easily. I have a pw that's 45*, a 49* and 53*. The 3/4 swing gets me 90, 75 and 60 yards with those.

The only thing you need to watch before choosing the right club is the lie you have. A clean lie gets those distances, a worse lie in rough and you may need to adjust 5 yards or more depending on how deep it is. Repetition will breed familiarity and confidence.

[bortass]

@scooterhd2 @bpink21901 I agree completely and that's what I am currently doing. I'm just not at the level of the Short Game Bible with 4 shots dialed in per wedge. My partial wedge shot is probably close to 3/4 swing. I use it with my PW 70 yards, GW 52* 60 yards, and SW 56* 50 yards. I swapped out the LW I never used for the Niblick which is the same loft as my SW but different uses. I have not been hitting full GW or SW shots much. I'm trying to think back to when I did play a lot and I don't think I hit many full SWs

Regarding the niblick, I'm seeing some improvement with it as I use it more. Distance control is still off for pitches but I'm starting to get a bit closer with my chips. I still have a long way to go but seeing some improvement is key to me.

[bortass]

Not a great last few days for my game.

 

Played 9 on Wednesday and shot a smooth 51. I was rushing to catch a twosome in front of me. I showed up for my team team and there's a bunch of guys on the tee and a couple tees off as I check in. Turns out the guys waiting were an earlier tee time and waited to let others out. So I asked if they wanted me to tee off and try to catch the twosome or wait til after they teed off. They told me to go, so I did. I did okay on #1 with a bogey and then got in trouble for the next four holes. I had decent full shots and struggled with chips and bunker shots. It was embarrassing. I finally catch the twosome and i'm not rushing but still running into problems like a tee shot with the 4w OOB...

 

Hit the range Thursday and Friday and things were off. I'm not sure what it was but a lot of thin shots for me and the good ole push was back. I did mostly partial wedges per usual but still couldn't get on track. I did hit balls out of the bunker both days though. So at least i'm working on that again.

 

18 on Saturday was not pretty either. I hit the range before playing and it wasn't great either... My swing did not feel right and i don't know what it is. 55/50 with 7 penalty strokes, 4 on the front and 3 on the back. I was over NDB on a couple holes, so GHIN has a posted score of 103. Two pars, 5 bogeys, 7 doubles, 2 triple, and 2 quads. I did hit some good shots in the mix though. I'm getting near the green on #1 and #17 in two more often. I had a bogey on par 5 #14 which has water down the right side. I played my first two shots real well and put my third in a green side bunker. Get out of it but have over 30 feet and two putt.

 

A quick 9 yesterday. It was better score wise. Shot a 47, 1 par, 5 bogeys, and 3 doubles. My ball striking was off but I muddled my way through. I didn't seem able to string two good shots in row except on Par 5 #3, I managed to get near the green with two good 4w shots. Blade my chip into a bunker, get out in 1 and two putt for a 6. I did manage to chip inside 3 inches on #7 and hit a great high draw on #8 with my 7i that went 155 to the back of the green(my one par). The other positive was I got out of all my bunkers in 1. I still didn't get the ball close to the flag but at least i didn't have to take multiple shots to get out which is what had been happening. I also didn't put my ball in the pond on #9.

 

Speaking of #9, par 4, water on the left. I tee off with my 7w and aimed left. i hit a draw 171 yards to the left and into the fairway for a change. I have 130 to center, pond carry and there is a very strong steady wind in my face. I actually took my hat off because of it. One guy I'm playing with dumped his ball into the pond short of the green from behind me and he's a longer hitter than me... Arccos is recommending I hit my 7w and I'm thinking 5i but I've been thin a bunch. So I use my 7w and hit a push fade, 162 yards, over the green, the ball lands on the cart path that's well behind the green and it bounces up into the trees... I panicked because of the wind and water and way over clubbed. I find my ball and I have a shot. I punch it out with my PW and land in the rear bunker, which I had to carry to reach the green. get out and two putt for a 6.

 

So course management lesson there. I normally take the Arccos recommendation with a grain of salt and didn't in that case. Oh well, not the end of the world. The distances are a bit skewed because of my club selection, I rarely use my 4 and 5 irons, and those have been mostly recovery type shots I think. So It thinks I average 128 with my 7i, 130 with my 6, 134 with the 5i and 133 with the 4i.

 

Club usage to add to the wall of text to date:

Driver 20 shots

4w 377 shots

7w 86 shots

4i 17 shots

5i 62 shots

6i 127 shots

7i 83 shots

8i 27 shots

9i 35 shots

PW 121 shots - a few bunker shots and a number of partial shots

GW 199 shots - is used in bunkers and was used for chipping. Also a lot of partial shots.

niblick 56 shots - pitches and chips

SW 91 shots - a few bunker shots, maybe some chips, mostly partial shots.

putter 939, lol.