What you learned about golf this year?

[NoTalentLefty]

Always trying to find what improvements I need or just something I found out.

 

1) PXG makes exceptional irons and wedges. Can’t say anything on the rest of their equipment, don’t have any.

2) Golf can be played with just about any method. Used two different ones this year with equal amount of success or failure , depending on how you view it. 
3) My putter is my biggest problem area, followed by short game.

4) Golf takes a lot of practice or play to really improve. 
5) Titleist Pro V1 is still the best golf ball that I can’t afford to play regularly.

Edited November 24, 2021 by NoTalentLefty

[Warrior42111]

1. Father time is a B^*&^*. Lost 3 months for an open double hernia repair and still can't weight lift another 3 months

2. Losing your feel is the worst. After the time off I knew there'd be rusty but hitting the most GIRs in my life and squandering it.

3. I play better in competition even if it's just $5

4. I care more about course design than conditions (besides the greens). Give me a course with some character and crap tee boxes/ fairways over a perfectly maintained flat straight course any day.

 

[caniac6]

Based on my recent play, not a darn thing!

[nitram]

Golf balls (if you can find them) as a whole are so much better than they were just 5 years ago.

[J_Tizzle]

I need to hit cuts almost exclusively.  I can control the ball so much better without a draw.

[aenemated]

Don't make a 3PM tee time in Vegas in August. 

[GLF4EVR]

When you switch from steel to graphite for all your iron shafts...do not try to take a hard swing at the ball.

[TiScape]

27 minutes ago, aenemated said:

Don't make a 3PM tee time in Vegas in August. 

Oh come on, it’s a nice dry 115°. 😂 

[Ferguson]

That it's easier to learn how to fly a Scorpion Attack Helicopter than make 18 straight pars. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Ferguson

[jordan2240]

That it still hates me.

[dugue4]

Golf is much harder when you play by the rules. 

[Shushwap]

That's is getting expensive for us regular joe's... I can't afford 150 a round if I plan to play weekly 

[_chs_]

The last thing I do before I swing is to take a quick and deliberate look at the target.

[Wormkiller]

This year I’ve learned the hard way that, for me, competition golf is not fun. It’s just stressful and too serious.

 

Social golf with friends for the win.

 

 

[kmay__]

Learned that I'm not really going to improve playing once a week after working an 8 hour shift of physical labor. And that's fine, I just need to have reasonable expectations, and just enjoy being out there. And I need to play more with my old man next year, because its a lot more enjoyable for me than playing with ego driven similarly aged friends. 

[MattM97]

I have the natural ability to be a good golfer but playing 2-4x a month with little to no practice I won't get there. 

With the amount I play I have to be more realistic with my game especially when something isn't working.

Golf is a huge stress reliver for me and I'm extremely stressed. 

Golf is easier when you're not a big dude, I need to be less of a big dude. 

My friends while they enjoy golf don't want to play as much as me.

Public courses are getting stupid expensive where I live. 

 

My solution to all this is hopefully a membership in 2022. 

[Springsteennut]

That I can break 80!

[uitar9]

-control my expectations

-course management saves me strokes

-a stupid shot , after making a bad shot, is stupid

[lefthack]

I took a lesson since I couldn't figure out the driver. I learned I was not shallow enough and that's why my club face to path causes a slice. Once I learned the proper plane downswing, I actually hit a slight draw. 

 

Lots of practice still, but I am now hitting more fairways than not.

Edited November 26, 2021 by lefthack

[Tax77]

A steep iron swing with beaver pelts flying adds 20 yards and shaves 15 strokes.

 

I enjoy playing alone.

[elwhippy]

Need a fitness blitz over the winter months. Losing length as I get older and not hitting scoring clubs into par 4s is affecting my play. 400 used to be drive 8 iron, now it is a 5 iron or hybrid on cooler days. 

[xkilgorextroutx]

I learned that constant stretching and exercise can not only make my back feel a lot better, it can add distance through the bag.

[DavePelz4]

The less I care about the score, the better the results seem to be.

[k__e_n]

I'm playing the best golf of my life largely due to course management skills that I didn't have when I was younger. That said, I need to learn to shallow the club. I saw myself swing on video for the first time in a long time and was shocked at how steep I was.

 

Lie board fittings are a lie (thanks TXG!).

 

Regarding putting, I need/want way more toe hang than I thought I did and mallets don't work well for me. Went from a few slight toe hang putters to a ZB3 heppler and can actually release the putter now (yes, I had been fit before).

 

I'm more motivated now to play good golf than I ever have been. Very much looking forward to 2022.

[Circaflex]

That I took it for granted and I now appreciate more than ever. I caught covid in the middle of september and went to hit balls for the first time today because I finally felt good enough to do some physical activity. Man did I miss that sound, being outside, smelling the air and grass. This game really is magical and I can't wait to play 18.

[Carl Spackler3]

That golf has again grown to full tee sheets 7 days a week in my area

[@_the_crook]

when in the rough, the second shot on a par 5 is not the time to try and be a hero.

'nuff said.

 

[mikpga]

I’ve learned that I work too much and need to do the following things better next year…

 

- More Stretching

- More Water

- More Walking

[Marty86]

- Golf when walking the course with a push cart will help you lose and maintain weight easily without much of an exertion (lost 3 belt buckle sizes over the course of the summer and spring).

- It's easier to draw and fade a driver than I thought, still not consistent enough but by changing my grip I can do it to a degree.

- Need more time at the range rather than just playing, but finding a driving range in NYC area with a grass range rather than mats is impossible (mats and I don't get along well, it's a mental thing).

[rwc356]

I've learned that:

- at age 69,  Father Time was winning and it was time for me to move up to the senior tees (at least on some holes)

- using a blended set of tees so that I have the distance to reach every hole in regulation has made golf fun again.

- it was fun to re-learn using short and mid irons for approach shots instead of always pulling out my 7 wood.