Journey to Scratch

[dvq9654]

Hi all - 

 

I've enjoyed following the various "improvement" journals in the Instruction forum, so figured I'd hop on the bandwagon. Some background on me:

 

Early: Grew up playing golf somewhat frequently. Played on the golf team early in high school, but broke my wrist, rushed back and ruined my swing / interest in the game, so essentially quit until after undergrad. I was never that good, but did enjoy playing before my injury 

Later: Played intermittently (~5-10 times a year) with my family / friends after undergrad, but never really practiced or took it seriously. Would shoot mid 80s on a good day and blow up pretty regularly 

Recent / Now: Re-kindled my interest in the game during business school. Played a lot, took some online lessons and got much better. Started shooting in the mid-to-high 70s pretty regularly on relatively benign SoCal munis, despite some glaring swing issues. More recently, golf has become my primary hobby. It serves as a stress-relief and always gives me something to focus on outside an often-hectic schedule. Have invested in lessons and really made an effort to improve my swing. I'm now a ~1.5 handicap with the potential to shoot under par at challenging courses, but remain somewhat streaky 

 

I'm starting this for those interested in following, but also to have place to seek advice / objective viewpoints from better players as I aim to take my game to the next level: scratch. I realize the last couple strokes may be the hardest yet, so I'll share my journey, vent, you name it. Time, consistency and frequency will be the biggest challenges. 

 

My immediate goals on this journey are:

 

1) Improve consistency off the tee - This is definitely my weakness and when my driver is "on" I can score well. I hit it far enough but can go sideways quickly / often. I want to develop a consistent shot I can trust 

2) Groove recent changes - A strong push draw has plagued my game, but I have recently altered my path resulting in the ball rarely moving left. Still feels weird on the course, so working to change my sightlines / approach and get comfortable with a shot I literally couldn't hit ~2 months ago

 

My longer-term goals are:

 

1) Get to "real" scratch - Scratch is my number one goal, but I do want my game to travel and not just rack up good scores at courses I know. Not to say I expect to light up a course first time I see it, but having a respectable game in various circumstances would be ideal   

2) Have my game hold up under pressure - I want to play in some local tourneys and have my game withstand the test. I don't care about winning, but don't want to fold. This is secondary to the above, but think it will be a good litmus test 

 

Swing below for those that haven't been bored to death (assuming I did it right). I don't necessarily plan to have this be about my swing, but figured I'd share as a baseline.

 

 

 

 

[liquorandpoker]

Sweet

 

Should be fun to follow

 

Good luck!

[putterboy75]

Your story above reads very similar to mine, along with the long term goals you mentioned. Similar to you, I can be wild off the tee. I'm confident I do not have the right driver in the bag at the moment which isn't helping the issue. You've got a few strokes on me though, I am mid-single digits and have moments of glory but also times (specifically around the greens) that are discouraging.

 

One question: you mention you took some online lessons / instruction. Any suggestions? I've tried a few but they've gone nowhere, which I attribute to never seeing the instructor to start in person. Good luck and thanks!

 

[MattyO1984]

Good luck @dvq9654 Following along!

[phizzy30]

Which golf courses do you usually play?  I'm in SoCal as well in the LA area but I travel out to Riverside county, Oxnard, San Bernadino, and Palm Springs as well to golf.  You have solid swing which will serve you well.  I too would like to get to scratch but I am still growing my business so I don't have as much time as I would like to practice. 

[milesgiles]

8 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

Hi all - 

 

I've enjoyed following the various "improvement" journals in the Instruction forum, so figured I'd hop on the bandwagon. Some background on me:

 

Early: Grew up playing golf somewhat frequently. Played on the golf team early in high school, but broke my wrist, rushed back and ruined my swing / interest in the game, so essentially quit until after undergrad. I was never that good, but did enjoy playing before my injury 

Later: Played intermittently (~5-10 times a year) with my family / friends after undergrad, but never really practiced or took it seriously. Would shoot mid 80s on a good day and blow up pretty regularly 

Recent / Now: Re-kindled my interest in the game during business school. Played a lot, took some online lessons and got much better. Started shooting in the mid-to-high 70s pretty regularly on relatively benign SoCal munis, despite some glaring swing issues. More recently, golf has become my primary hobby. It serves as a stress-relief and always gives me something to focus on outside an often-hectic schedule. Have invested in lessons and really made an effort to improve my swing. I'm now a ~1.5 handicap with the potential to shoot under par at challenging courses, but remain somewhat streaky 

 

I'm starting this for those interested in following, but also to have place to seek advice / objective viewpoints from better players as I aim to take my game to the next level: scratch. I realize the last couple strokes may be the hardest yet, so I'll share my journey, vent, you name it. Time, consistency and frequency will be the biggest challenges. 

 

My immediate goals on this journey are:

 

1) Improve consistency off the tee - This is definitely my weakness and when my driver is "on" I can score well. I hit it far enough but can go sideways quickly / often. I want to develop a consistent shot I can trust 

2) Groove recent changes - A strong push draw has plagued my game, but I have recently altered my path resulting in the ball rarely moving left. Still feels weird on the course, so working to change my sightlines / approach and get comfortable with a shot I literally couldn't hit ~2 months ago

 

My longer-term goals are:

 

1) Get to "real" scratch - Scratch is my number one goal, but I do want my game to travel and not just rack up good scores at courses I know. Not to say I expect to light up a course first time I see it, but having a respectable game in various circumstances would be ideal   

2) Have my game hold up under pressure - I want to play in some local tourneys and have my game withstand the test. I don't care about winning, but don't want to fold. This is secondary to the above, but think it will be a good litmus test 

 

Swing below for those that haven't been bored to death (assuming I did it right). I don't necessarily plan to have this be about my swing, but figured I'd share as a baseline.

 

 

 

 

 

as someone who is in the same place..

 

how many greens are you hitting at 'home'?

 

my ball striking isnt good enough, Im in the 10-12 range and I believe that has to be 13-14, certainly at home, to be a genuine travelling scratch.

[MelloYello]

11 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

Hi all - 

 

I've enjoyed following the various "improvement" journals in the Instruction forum, so figured I'd hop on the bandwagon. Some background on me:

 

Early: Grew up playing golf somewhat frequently. Played on the golf team early in high school, but broke my wrist, rushed back and ruined my swing / interest in the game, so essentially quit until after undergrad. I was never that good, but did enjoy playing before my injury 

Later: Played intermittently (~5-10 times a year) with my family / friends after undergrad, but never really practiced or took it seriously. Would shoot mid 80s on a good day and blow up pretty regularly 

Recent / Now: Re-kindled my interest in the game during business school. Played a lot, took some online lessons and got much better. Started shooting in the mid-to-high 70s pretty regularly on relatively benign SoCal munis, despite some glaring swing issues. More recently, golf has become my primary hobby. It serves as a stress-relief and always gives me something to focus on outside an often-hectic schedule. Have invested in lessons and really made an effort to improve my swing. I'm now a ~1.5 handicap with the potential to shoot under par at challenging courses, but remain somewhat streaky 

 

I'm starting this for those interested in following, but also to have place to seek advice / objective viewpoints from better players as I aim to take my game to the next level: scratch. I realize the last couple strokes may be the hardest yet, so I'll share my journey, vent, you name it. Time, consistency and frequency will be the biggest challenges. 

 

My immediate goals on this journey are:

 

1) Improve consistency off the tee - This is definitely my weakness and when my driver is "on" I can score well. I hit it far enough but can go sideways quickly / often. I want to develop a consistent shot I can trust 

2) Groove recent changes - A strong push draw has plagued my game, but I have recently altered my path resulting in the ball rarely moving left. Still feels weird on the course, so working to change my sightlines / approach and get comfortable with a shot I literally couldn't hit ~2 months ago

 

My longer-term goals are:

 

1) Get to "real" scratch - Scratch is my number one goal, but I do want my game to travel and not just rack up good scores at courses I know. Not to say I expect to light up a course first time I see it, but having a respectable game in various circumstances would be ideal   

2) Have my game hold up under pressure - I want to play in some local tourneys and have my game withstand the test. I don't care about winning, but don't want to fold. This is secondary to the above, but think it will be a good litmus test 

 

Swing below for those that haven't been bored to death (assuming I did it right). I don't necessarily plan to have this be about my swing, but figured I'd share as a baseline.

 

 

IMG_4017.MOV 5.83 MB · 0 downloads

 

 

 

 

It sounds like you and I are very similar. I'm at a 1.9 index right now and that's playing in shaggy winter conditions. I'm very excited to see whether I might naturally get closer to scratch as the weather & conditions here improve. 

 

It sounds like we have similar swings and tendencies. Like you, if I keep the driver going straight I'm likely to have a good day. My wedges and short game are the most reliable and I usually don't have to hit longer than short iron at my course. 

 

I've noticed a few things this year that dissuade me from explicitly making scratch a goal though:

 

(1)

It's a function of how often you play. Scratch seems like more of an indicator of time spent at the course than it does pure talent. I was lucky this year and played 3-4x per week. I went from a 5-index down to a 2 because of it. I'm thinking that as the weather warms up and conditions improve I may get down to a 1.0 or better just sticking to my typical weekly routines. 

 

Still, the guys who I know of that are permanently scratch and beyond are all golfer who play significantly more than me and I'm not sure I could ever match them at that. One is the Club Champ who is my age (35) and somehow has time to play every day of the week (even during the day). Another is an aspiring Pro just out of college. I've also met guys just coming off college golf teams.

 

Point is, it seems that all these types earned their stripes practicing & playing every day like mad. I'm not sure I can expect myself to do that at 35 with a real job, even with my relatively flexible work schedule. So keep that in mind. Scratch isn't about talent. It's about time. 

 

(2)

Playing in money games really helps. My CC buddies all get together as foursomes and face off group-vs-group with each of us putting in about $25. As the "A" player in a foursome I'm expected to play well. I'm not a natural leader so it often sucks to carry that pressure, but I think it's made me a much more reliable player. I wouldn't say clutch, LOL, but I don't worry so much about pressure. I've shot my personal best 3-4 times this year including my first under-par round and all of those were in money games. 

 

I've had to learn more mental tricks like not keeping score and taking it one shot at a time. I think playing purely for yourself is the hardest type of pressure because there are no distractions. When I play alone I have to try and distract myself from thinking about how I'm playing. That's tough. I'm glad I'm not stuck playing alone these days. I can do it for 9 holes, but I struggle to stay focused and locked in for 18 when I'm by myself. 

(3) 
Nobody ever points this out but course ratings aren't always fair. Have you noticed? Some courses are rated harder than they really are. You want to find that type course if you're looking to be scratch. I know it's bad to say that but it's true. I have a course in my area that's the opposite and everyone hates it. You're doing well to post a round in the 70s and yet it's rated somewhat easy for whatever reason. I don't think I shot a round out there last year with a differential under 5.0. If I tried to be a scratch player on that course, I'd never do it. Playing out there, you'll always find your Handicap is about 2-3 shots higher than it would be playing many of the other courses. And again, it's all about the rating. Point is, don't beat yourself up when you play a course like that. I used to call that place home and every time I'd go somewhere else I'd surprise myself with a mid-70s round. Turns out I was just getting screwed by my home course, LOL. 

Edited January 19, 2022 by MelloYello

[dvq9654]

8 hours ago, putterboy75 said:

One question: you mention you took some online lessons / instruction. Any suggestions? I've tried a few but they've gone nowhere, which I attribute to never seeing the instructor to start in person. Good luck and thanks!

 

 

I work with Monte both in-person and via his improvement plan. He keeps it simple, so I only need to focus on one or two things at a time, which works for me. Too easy to go down a rabbit hole otherwise, at least for me 

[dvq9654]

6 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Which golf courses do you usually play?  I'm in SoCal as well in the LA area but I travel out to Riverside county, Oxnard, San Bernadino, and Palm Springs as well to golf.  You have solid swing which will serve you well.  I too would like to get to scratch but I am still growing my business so I don't have as much time as I would like to practice. 

 

I mainly rotate between the local munis, Rustic Canyon, Palm Desert and the OC (less frequently). I'm with you on the time element - that will be the biggest variable (and my lack of athletic ability...)

[dvq9654]

4 hours ago, milesgiles said:

as someone who is in the same place..

 

how many greens are you hitting at 'home'?

 

my ball striking isnt good enough, Im in the 10-12 range and I believe that has to be 13-14, certainly at home, to be a genuine travelling scratch.

 

Arccos shows I hit on average 10.8 GIRs, which is more than an average scratch golf who hits 10.1 GIRs. Whether that is truly accurate, I don't know. I don't really have a single home course (more like 3), so the numbers probably vary as one has small greens, one medium and one very large. 

 

I will say my ball striking is probably good enough from ~160 and in. My long irons are terrible right now, relatively, so I certainly lose strokes there, particularly on long par 3s.  

 

I also miss greens due to poor drives at least as often as I miss them due to just a poor swing, so any improvement off the tee will in theory push up GIRs. 

 

All that said, I do want to continue to improve my ball striking because I'm not shooting around the course rating regularly without consistent ball striking. Better ball striking also equals close putts, which in another key to going lower. 

[dvq9654]

2 hours ago, MelloYello said:

(3) 
Nobody ever points this out but course ratings aren't always fair. Have you noticed? Some courses are rated harder than they really are. You want to find that type course if you're looking to be scratch. I know it's bad to say that but it's true. I have a course in my area that's the opposite and everyone hates it. You're doing well to post a round in the 70s and yet it's rated somewhat easy for whatever reason. I don't think I shot a round out there last year with a differential under 5.0. If I tried to be a scratch player on that course, I'd never do it. Playing out there, you'll always find your Handicap is about 2-3 shots higher than it would be playing many of the other courses. And again, it's all about the rating. Point is, don't beat yourself up when you play a course like that. I used to call that place home and every time I'd go somewhere else I'd surprise myself with a mid-70s round. Turns out I was just getting screwed by my home course, LOL. 

 

I agree with this but am hopeful it won't matter if I continue to play a variety of courses. That said, there is a course I play frequently that requires scoring under par on a regular basis to be scratch. I honestly don't score much better there than other courses that are rated 2-3 strokes higher (and certainly not 2-3 strokes difference). If I wanted to game the system, I probably wouldn't play there as often, but that's just not going to happen due to ease of access, so if it means I have to learn to go low regularly to reach my goal, so be it 

[MelloYello]

9 minutes ago, dvq9654 said:

 

I agree with this but am hopeful it won't matter if I continue to play a variety of courses. That said, there is a course I play frequently that requires scoring under par on a regular basis to be scratch. I honestly don't score much better there than other courses that are rated 2-3 strokes higher (and certainly not 2-3 strokes difference). If I wanted to game the system, I probably wouldn't play there as often, but that's just not going to happen due to ease of access, so if it means I have to learn to go low regularly to reach my goal, so be it 

 

Yeah, same here. It's not practical to avoid courses. I'm just happy I don't have to play that type of course every single week like I used to. Sounds like you get around which is good, but that may also make it harder in terms of getting to scratch. I know it's way easier for me since I play the same course 90% of the time. At least most of the courses in my area are pretty similar. 

 

Another thing to really consider is that being a 0 means having approximately 4 of your best 8 scores be under par. That's kind of a frightening thought for me. Someone else in another thread mentioned getting stuck around a 2 index because they were too focused on course management. That's kind of true. If getting to low single figures requires scrambling and playing smart, getting to scratch requires birdies. That can really put pressure on your ability to capitalize. You probably need to focus as much as making those critical putts between 3-10 feet as you do the long game. 

 

I know that for me there are absolutely rounds where I get 18 pretty good looks at GIR. Even if I hit 13-14 of those, I can still easily shoot above par because I'm not making anything outside the 3-ft circle. At some point, you've just got to start making putts if you want to shoot under par, especially if it's required in 4/20 rounds. After all, that's 20%!!!    

.

Edited January 19, 2022 by MelloYello

[phizzy30]

Just now, dvq9654 said:

 

I mainly rotate between the local munis, Rustic Canyon, Palm Desert and the OC (less frequently). I'm with you on the time element - that will be the biggest variable (and my lack of athletic ability...)

Love Rustic and all the courses up there in Moorpark.  I totally disagree with you when you say lack of athletic ability.  As a personal trainer, I have a good eye for athletic ability talent and you my friend have a solid swing.  The golf swing is an athletic move in of itself and for a golfer who hovers around scratch such as yourself has to have some level of athletic ability in order to get to and maintain such a handicap.  😉

[Shades234]

Good luck on your journey. With time and discipline, you will get there. It sounds like you're on the right path with lessons and are improving. 

 

I also recommend DECADE. If you are on the fence, check out Scott Fawcett's YT, Twitter, and Instagram. He shares some good nuggets on those platforms. 

[dvq9654]

2 hours ago, MelloYello said:

 

Another thing to really consider is that being a 0 means having approximately 4 of your best 8 scores be under par. That's kind of a frightening thought for me. Someone else in another thread mentioned getting stuck around a 2 index because they were too focused on course management. That's kind of true. If getting to low single figures requires scrambling and playing smart, getting to scratch requires birdies. That can really put pressure on your ability to capitalize. You probably need to focus as much as making those critical putts between 3-10 feet as you do the long game. 

 

 

That's definitely true at some of these easier courses, but at RC fairly certain at or around par will get me there. I know I can shoot those scores and better, so, while it's somewhat intimidating, with the right improvements I'll get there. 

 

Agree on putting. I'm actually solid under 10 feet, but really need to improve from 10-25 feet, at least per Arccos.  

 

2 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Love Rustic and all the courses up there in Moorpark.  I totally disagree with you when you say lack of athletic ability.  As a personal trainer, I have a good eye for athletic ability talent and you my friend have a solid swing.  The golf swing is an athletic move in of itself and for a golfer who hovers around scratch such as yourself has to have some level of athletic ability in order to get to and maintain such a handicap.  😉

 

You're being too kind, but appreciate it 

 

20 minutes ago, Shades234 said:

Good luck on your journey. With time and discipline, you will get there. It sounds like you're on the right path with lessons and are improving. 

 

I also recommend DECADE. If you are on the fence, check out Scott Fawcett's YT, Twitter, and Instagram. He shares some good nuggets on those platforms. 

 

DECADE is definitely interesting to me. I currently use Arccos, which is decent, but DECADE seems far more comprehensive. I'll give it a look

[betarhoalphadelta]

Looking forward to reading about your journey. I think it'll be interesting to see it catalogued for someone who is already an expert golfer, who is trying to reach the next tier of excellence. 

 

Instead of reading stuff by myself or @bortass which is more often a comedy of errors 😉

 

[bortass]

4 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Looking forward to reading about your journey. I think it'll be interesting to see it catalogued for someone who is already an expert golfer, who is trying to reach the next tier of excellence. 

 

Instead of reading stuff by myself or @bortass which is more often a comedy of errors 😉

 

I'm just glad it's a comedy and not a tragedy! LOL.

[bortass]

1 hour ago, dvq9654 said:

 

That's definitely true at some of these easier courses, but at RC fairly certain at or around par will get me there. I know I can shoot those scores and better, so, while it's somewhat intimidating, with the right improvements I'll get there. 

 

Agree on putting. I'm actually solid under 10 feet, but really need to improve from 10-25 feet, at least per Arccos.  

 

 

You're being too kind, but appreciate it 

 

 

DECADE is definitely interesting to me. I currently use Arccos, which is decent, but DECADE seems far more comprehensive. I'll give it a look

I'm curious about what you do in this area. I use Arccos and have just started to look at DECADE. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, I have read the same thing from a couple of others, but I have no actual experience with it. Arccos is great for shot patterns, distances, stats and finding holes in your game with minimal user input. DECADE strikes me as more about course management and strategy with an app to help with stats, etc. I think I've read that some people enter the rounds in after the fact versus having it captured in real time. 

 

Again, I haven't used DECADE, so I'm real interested your experience if you go that route. I'd end up using both since my Arccos sensors predate the subscription they were rolling out, so it doesn't cost anything to use it and the phone in my pocket isn't an issue for me. 

[gentles]

2 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

 

That's definitely true at some of these easier courses, but at RC fairly certain at or around par will get me there. I know I can shoot those scores and better, so, while it's somewhat intimidating, with the right improvements I'll get there. 

 

Agree on putting. I'm actually solid under 10 feet, but really need to improve from 10-25 feet, at least per Arccos.  

 

 

You're being too kind, but appreciate it 

 

 

DECADE is definitely interesting to me. I currently use Arccos, which is decent, but DECADE seems far more comprehensive. I'll give it a look

 

Check out the decade thread - i subscribed to it for a year, here is my 80/20 version of system...there is obviously way more too it than laid out here, but here are the big parts, IMO

• Hit driver whenever hazard isn't in play. You aren't guaranteed to hit the fairway with a shorter club, but you are guaranteed to be further away for your next shot. 
• Hit to the fat part of the green and avoid short siding yourself, especially with longer clubs. Half way between flag and fat side edge is a good rule of thumb
• Understand putting make rates (in particular, the exponential increase in make rate from 3-6 feet compared to other distances) and use that to decide on short game strategy - take a risk if you can hit it tap in, but don't take a big risk to leave a 15' vs a 30' putt for example. 
• Anything outside of 6' just focus on speed, the hole will get in the way if your speed is good

[dvq9654]

2 hours ago, bortass said:

I'm curious about what you do in this area. I use Arccos and have just started to look at DECADE. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, I have read the same thing from a couple of others, but I have no actual experience with it. Arccos is great for shot patterns, distances, stats and finding holes in your game with minimal user input. DECADE strikes me as more about course management and strategy with an app to help with stats, etc. I think I've read that some people enter the rounds in after the fact versus having it captured in real time. 

 

Again, I haven't used DECADE, so I'm real interested your experience if you go that route. I'd end up using both since my Arccos sensors predate the subscription they were rolling out, so it doesn't cost anything to use it and the phone in my pocket isn't an issue for me. 

 

I mainly use Arccos to inform where I'm doing well vs. not. Generally speaking, I feel like I know where I am doing well so it's somewhat confirmatory vs. revelatory. You highlight a good point on the difference between DECADE and Arccos, and I do think the management element would be helpful, particularly over a long season where small differences may shave a few decimals (or more) off your cap

 

55 minutes ago, gentles said:

 

Check out the decade thread - i subscribed to it for a year, here is my 80/20 version of system...there is obviously way more too it than laid out here, but here are the big parts, IMO

• Hit driver whenever hazard isn't in play. You aren't guaranteed to hit the fairway with a shorter club, but you are guaranteed to be further away for your next shot. 
• Hit to the fat part of the green and avoid short siding yourself, especially with longer clubs. Half way between flag and fat side edge is a good rule of thumb
• Understand putting make rates (in particular, the exponential increase in make rate from 3-6 feet compared to other distances) and use that to decide on short game strategy - take a risk if you can hit it tap in, but don't take a big risk to leave a 15' vs a 30' putt for example. 
• Anything outside of 6' just focus on speed, the hole will get in the way if your speed is good

 

Thanks for the summary. I am intrigued by DECADE and will certainly dive a bit deeper into the thread. The cost is a bit out there, mainly in the sense you have to sign up for 6 months straight away vs. wade in a bit, but if it works it could be well worth it. 

[gentles]

4 minutes ago, dvq9654 said:

 

I mainly use Arccos to inform where I'm doing well vs. not. Generally speaking, I feel like I know where I am doing well so it's somewhat confirmatory vs. revelatory. You highlight a good point on the difference between DECADE and Arccos, and I do think the management element would be helpful, particularly over a long season where small differences may shave a few decimals (or more) off your cap

 

 

Thanks for the summary. I am intrigued by DECADE and will certainly dive a bit deeper into the thread. The cost is a bit out there, mainly in the sense you have to sign up for 6 months straight away vs. wade in a bit, but if it works it could be well worth it. 

 

There are a few aspects to the app - what I described is the actual system that is promoted, but you're also paying for the stats package where you enter your information, it will spit out what you need to practice, how you compare vs other levels of player for different aspects of your game etc

 

I was more interested in the system itself...being a 7-8 HCP I just follow the rules outlined above rather than worry about entering all the stats. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

3 hours ago, bortass said:

I'm just glad it's a comedy and not a tragedy! LOL.

 

Well, you've talked about keeping a positive attitude on the course, right? 

 

If you're laughing at yourself, then that means your playing partners are laughing WITH you, not AT you 😉

 

[golfarb1]

At setup you upper back posture is in what is called a “C curve “, meaning that you have excessive rounding in your upper back . Your thoracic spine resembles the letter C 

This affects the mobility of your spine.and over time will weaken the muscles supporting your spine 

It is not a golf problem per se but a fitness and health problem and a golf pro or blog is the wrong place to go to improve it. You need to see a physical therapist who understands such problems. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by golfarb1

[D0ch0l1d4y]

@MonteScheinblum I don't see excessive rounding - thoughts?

 

 

9 minutes ago, golfarb1 said:

At setup you upper back posture is in what is called a “C curve “, meaning that you have excessive rounding in your upper back . Your thoracic spine resembles the letter C 

This affects the mobility of your spine.and over time will weaken the muscles supporting your spine 

It is not a golf problem per se but a fitness and health problem and a golf pro or blog is the wrong place to go to improve it. You need to see a physical therapist who understands such problems. 

 

[golfarb1]

Taken from mytpi

[milesgiles]

20 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

 

Arccos shows I hit on average 10.8 GIRs, which is more than an average scratch golf who hits 10.1 GIRs. Whether that is truly accurate, I don't know. I don't really have a single home course (more like 3), so the numbers probably vary as one has small greens, one medium and one very large. 

 

I will say my ball striking is probably good enough from ~160 and in. My long irons are terrible right now, relatively, so I certainly lose strokes there, particularly on long par 3s.  

 

I also miss greens due to poor drives at least as often as I miss them due to just a poor swing, so any improvement off the tee will in theory push up GIRs. 

 

All that said, I do want to continue to improve my ball striking because I'm not shooting around the course rating regularly without consistent ball striking. Better ball striking also equals close putts, which in another key to going lower. 

 

 

Only going off what Ive seen and who Ive played with..

 

I dont think 10-11 greens is nearly enough to get to travelling scratch (which I reckon is plus 1 to plus 2 on a moderately difficult course you know well).

 

Ive seen it done two ways. One is to be long and exceptionally straight off the tee. Over 110 ss without the possibility of a big miss. Or, a nonsense bonkers good short game. 

 

Although Id still say the exceptional short game guy has to have a very serviceable long game.

 

A high ss but just one bad miss a round will almost certainly preclude you from being a travelling scratch imo.

[MrFlipper]

Hey @dvq9654 you're probably aware of this, and I know you can't always pick where you hit balls, but be wary of ranges like Rancho Park that have mats and are hard and  unforgiving, even for mats. Hard on your body, hard on your clubs, and you may groove some habits that you don't want. Just a thought. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by MrFlipper
Wrong person

[dvq9654]

4 hours ago, milesgiles said:

 

 

Only going off what Ive seen and who Ive played with..

 

I dont think 10-11 greens is nearly enough to get to travelling scratch (which I reckon is plus 1 to plus 2 on a moderately difficult course you know well).

 

Ive seen it done two ways. One is to be long and exceptionally straight off the tee. Over 110 ss without the possibility of a big miss. Or, a nonsense bonkers good short game. 

 

Although Id still say the exceptional short game guy has to have a very serviceable long game.

 

A high ss but just one bad miss a round will almost certainly preclude you from being a travelling scratch imo.

This is fair, but I’m talking in averages, so the number will be skewed higher on good days and lower on bad days. No doubt I need to get my GIRs up though to get to scratch 

 

14 hours ago, golfarb1 said:

At setup you upper back posture is in what is called a “C curve “, meaning that you have excessive rounding in your upper back . Your thoracic spine resembles the letter C 

This affects the mobility of your spine.and over time will weaken the muscles supporting your spine 

It is not a golf problem per se but a fitness and health problem and a golf pro or blog is the wrong place to go to improve it. You need to see a physical therapist who understands such

This swing is with a pitching wedge, so thinks it’s a bit exaggerated. With a longer club, such a curve is non-existent. That said, I’m sure sitting at a desk for 80-100 hours a week has impacted my t-spine, so I’m sure I could improve that. Thanks for pointing out my age / lack of physical fitness 🙂 

 

 

55 minutes ago, MrFlipper said:

Hey @dvq9654 you're probably aware of this, and I know you can't always pick where you hit balls, but be wary of ranges like Rancho Park that have mats and are hard and  unforgiving, even for mats. Hard on your body, hard on your clubs, and you may groove some habits that you don't want. Just a thought. 

totally get it, but until I can sneak into LACC or Riv, mats will be my reality 

[Obee]

Will be following along with interest. I'm in Riverside at Victoria Club. Reach out if you want to play!

[Obee]

On 1/18/2022 at 7:32 PM, dvq9654 said:

Hi all - 

 

I've enjoyed following the various "improvement" journals in the Instruction forum, so figured I'd hop on the bandwagon. Some background on me:

 

Early: Grew up playing golf somewhat frequently. Played on the golf team early in high school, but broke my wrist, rushed back and ruined my swing / interest in the game, so essentially quit until after undergrad. I was never that good, but did enjoy playing before my injury 

Later: Played intermittently (~5-10 times a year) with my family / friends after undergrad, but never really practiced or took it seriously. Would shoot mid 80s on a good day and blow up pretty regularly 

Recent / Now: Re-kindled my interest in the game during business school. Played a lot, took some online lessons and got much better. Started shooting in the mid-to-high 70s pretty regularly on relatively benign SoCal munis, despite some glaring swing issues. More recently, golf has become my primary hobby. It serves as a stress-relief and always gives me something to focus on outside an often-hectic schedule. Have invested in lessons and really made an effort to improve my swing. I'm now a ~1.5 handicap with the potential to shoot under par at challenging courses, but remain somewhat streaky 

 

I'm starting this for those interested in following, but also to have place to seek advice / objective viewpoints from better players as I aim to take my game to the next level: scratch. I realize the last couple strokes may be the hardest yet, so I'll share my journey, vent, you name it. Time, consistency and frequency will be the biggest challenges. 

 

My immediate goals on this journey are:

 

1) Improve consistency off the tee - This is definitely my weakness and when my driver is "on" I can score well. I hit it far enough but can go sideways quickly / often. I want to develop a consistent shot I can trust 

2) Groove recent changes - A strong push draw has plagued my game, but I have recently altered my path resulting in the ball rarely moving left. Still feels weird on the course, so working to change my sightlines / approach and get comfortable with a shot I literally couldn't hit ~2 months ago

 

My longer-term goals are:

 

1) Get to "real" scratch - Scratch is my number one goal, but I do want my game to travel and not just rack up good scores at courses I know. Not to say I expect to light up a course first time I see it, but having a respectable game in various circumstances would be ideal   

2) Have my game hold up under pressure - I want to play in some local tourneys and have my game withstand the test. I don't care about winning, but don't want to fold. This is secondary to the above, but think it will be a good litmus test 

 

Swing below for those that haven't been bored to death (assuming I did it right). I don't necessarily plan to have this be about my swing, but figured I'd share as a baseline.

 

 

IMG_4017.MOV 5.83 MB · 0 down

 

 

That's a nice, connected move you have there. Would love to see a driver. You should be able to get below scratch with that action. Wondering what's holding you back now. How's the short game inside, say, 50 yards? What are your weaknesses there?