Journey to Scratch

[MelloYello]

12 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

Played again this AM at Rustic. Shot 76, although it felt much worse than that. For some reason, at the beginning of the round I couldn't get comfortable over the ball and was very out of sync / way too quick in transition. I was able to work through the alignment / out of sync-ness by the back nine (hit 7 of 9 greens) but just never got comfortable pitching, chipping and putting. Lots going on, so not going to type out the intricate details, but main thoughts:

 

Positive  

Mid-to-short irons - I stiffed two 9 irons to 5-6 feet, hit a high towering 6 iron from 191 to 5 feet and generally struck my irons well. I've said this many rounds in a row, but my confidence with these clubs is at an all-time high

 

Birdie Putts - I had 7 birdies putts within 15 feet and a couple more around ~20 feet. As noted below, didn't convert nearly as many as I'd like (only 3), but I'm giving myself looks. Partially related to strong iron play, but also drove a short par 4 and was pin high / just off the green on a longer par 5. 

 

Negative

Putting - my putting was trash today. I missed two of the three putts I hit stiff, one of which wasn't even close. I also horribly misread a number of putts. As I noted above, I just never felt comfortable over the ball, and it really reflected in my stroke / the quality of my putts. 33 putts, which isn't good, but felt like 40+. I also put Pro V1s into play today vs. my usual TP5x. I don't want to blame it on this change, because it was much more pervasive than that, but I did notice some speed control issues (mainly short), which could be a result of the change. 

 

Short game - Was also trash. Duffed one from ~60 yards since ball was above my feet and didn't adjust well and failed to get up and down a number of other times. Similar to putting, never felt good over the ball and my misses were poor. I can think of one good chip all day. 

 

From a positive perspective, I can tell I've made a lot of improvement in my game overall. I say that because 3-4 months ago a round that felt this bad would have yielded a score in the 80s. Today, despite some pretty poor shots, bad putting and bad short game, I walked away with a respectable score. My "anti-cap" and score band is getting much tighter, which leads me to believe I'm becoming a better golfer. 

 

On the other hand, there is no doubt in my mind I need to continue to improve in all aspects of my game, particularly my short game, to reach my goal and go lower more frequently. 

 

I guess one question for those reading - did you notice an apparent decline in your putting as you started to hit more greens / better approach shots? How did you improve? I feel like recent rounds where I'm hitting the ball well are really highlighting putting weakness, which I didn't necessarily notice when scrambling more (and often better). 

 

 

Great job holding that together! I experienced a lot of that same "anti-cap" improvement throughout this past year as well. I didn't always go as low as I wanted but rounds in the 80s really disappeared and for the first time I got to where I expected to shoot sub-80 and could do it 9 times out of 10. I think my actual scoring average was about 77 at one point. So I think that part of it is definitely normal. 

 

As far as the putting, it's probably inevitable, right? The more 10-footers you give yourself, the more it's going to become apparent that making 10-footers is really hard, LOL. 

 

I don't think it's that putting is necessarily a "weakness" but rather that being scratch mandates one be a very-good (well above average) putter. I found it much easier to improve lag putting than to become an expert inside 10-ft. I too am hoping to make progress near the hole this year. We'll see how it goes. 

[dvq9654]

2 hours ago, MelloYello said:

As far as the putting, it's probably inevitable, right? The more 10-footers you give yourself, the more it's going to become apparent that making 10-footers is really hard, LOL. 

 

I don't think it's that putting is necessarily a "weakness" but rather that being scratch mandates one be a very-good (well above average) putter. I found it much easier to improve lag putting than to become an expert inside 10-ft. I too am hoping to make progress near the hole this year. We'll see how it goes. 

 

I definitely agree. I guess to some extent it's about expectation management, but I do know I can get better in that 5-15 foot range, so time to start chipping away. 

 

Not to be your typical Golfwrx'r and just throw money at the issue, but the idea of SAM lab fitting is pretty appealing to me. I need to get fit for my new iron heads and buy shafts once finished with the fitting so that's probably my next major expenditure, but SAM lab will be in the back of my mind... 

[MelloYello]

1 hour ago, dvq9654 said:

 

I definitely agree. I guess to some extent it's about expectation management, but I do know I can get better in that 5-15 foot range, so time to start chipping away. 

 

Not to be your typical Golfwrx'r and just throw money at the issue, but the idea of SAM lab fitting is pretty appealing to me. I need to get fit for my new iron heads and buy shafts once finished with the fitting so that's probably my next major expenditure, but SAM lab will be in the back of my mind... 

 

Yeah, a putting assessment would be really interesting. I could see it being insightful. Then again, it's easy to change the many aspects of our putting: ball position, stance, alignment, etc. so a SAM assessment might also be a one-time snapshot that's negated by some future change, IDK. Hard to say. Trackman is great, ya know, but it can't do what a basic camera can paired with a good set of eyes. 

 

I know a struggling putter who's gone to David Orr a couple times. Orr is a well-respected putting coach. He does the Flat-stick Academy at Pine Needles. He's expensive but many people rave about him and he's got Tour credentials. That said, I'm a believer that putting is hard to teach. The people I know who are best at it all say it came pretty naturally to them, while the people who struggle just seem to be overwhelmed by mental issues and nervousness. Even when they get it rolling for a few weeks they inevitably lose it and just seem to dig themselves deeper into trouble over time. 

 

As I said before (maybe in this thread, I don't remember), there just seems to be a putting personality or temperament. Folks with patience and an attention to detail can handle the subtleties of the flat-stick while others seem perpetually bogged down by how unnatural it can seem. 

 

I would say those 5-15' putts come down to either (1) fundamentals or (2) touch. If you can't make putts on a 10-ft chalk-line that's dead straight then you know you have issues with fundamentals (setup & stroke). If you can't make putts with a bit of break you have issues with touch and reading the green. Both just take practice. 

[D0ch0l1d4y]

23 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

Not to be your typical Golfwrx'r and just throw money at the issue, but the idea of SAM lab fitting is pretty appealing to me. I need to get fit for my new iron heads and buy shafts once finished with the fitting so that's probably my next major expenditure, but SAM lab will be in the back of my mind... 

 

I'd bet you've spent $100 on less productive things...just find the SAM lab and do it. Between that and getting my starting line -> eyeline matched up (parallax for a left eye dominant right handed golfer) I dropped average putts by 5-6 a round and my misses are almost always around the hole (speed dependent of course). Speed control improves A LOT once you get the consistent end-over-end roll.

[darom86]

Given you're in So Cal, take a pilgrimage out to see Dr. Craig Farnsworth in La Quinta for a putting assessment.  Better yet, read his most recent book - the putting prescription - and then go see him in person to better maximize your time.   Aside from being a great guy, he is such a repository of practical and actionable advice to get you on a track to putting consistently well, day in and day out.  Worth every penny.

[dvq9654]

On 2/22/2022 at 8:55 AM, D0ch0l1d4y said:

 

I'd bet you've spent $100 on less productive things...just find the SAM lab and do it. Between that and getting my starting line -> eyeline matched up (parallax for a left eye dominant right handed golfer) I dropped average putts by 5-6 a round and my misses are almost always around the hole (speed dependent of course). Speed control improves A LOT once you get the consistent end-over-end roll.

 

On 2/22/2022 at 3:36 PM, darom86 said:

Given you're in So Cal, take a pilgrimage out to see Dr. Craig Farnsworth in La Quinta for a putting assessment.  Better yet, read his most recent book - the putting prescription - and then go see him in person to better maximize your time.   Aside from being a great guy, he is such a repository of practical and actionable advice to get you on a track to putting consistently well, day in and day out.  Worth every penny.

 

I've definitely spent $100 on dumber things (aka 3 manhattans at the local steakhouse...) so fully agree with your assessment. The real pain would be buying a new putter...

 

I'll have to look into him. I get out to the desert relatively frequently, so would love to add him to the itinerary if it makes sense. 

 

All that said - I played a few quick holes on Monday and my putting was solid. Hit putts where I wanted, weight was good, you name it. I think I'm overreacting a bit in the face of hitting more greens but do need to continue to make putting a focal point. If practice doesn't make progress, then I'll see the professionals. 

 

[D0ch0l1d4y]

52 minutes ago, dvq9654 said:

 

 

I've definitely spent $100 on dumber things (aka 3 manhattans at the local steakhouse...) so fully agree with your assessment. The real pain would be buying a new putter...

 

The correct loft and lie adjustment made a world of difference for me. That was a year ago and I’m just now getting into the correct head type. 

[dvq9654]

Went for a fitting today at No Bogeys to figure out the appropriate shafts for my NCW heads. Was a good experience.

 

At the outset, we set the baseline with my current clubs (Apex Pros with Nippon 950GH). I knew going in my shafts are probably too light but went in with an open mind. Baseline showed spin was relatively low and launch was too high, so we aimed to get better numbers. 

 

Given my clubs are custom, we used a Mizuno blade to fit. Tried a variety of different shafts in varying weight and flexes. I was surprised to see many of the shafts were in X flex. I asked the fitter why because I have some speed but nothing crazy. He basically said I load the shaft pretty consistently, so at my speed I could go either way. 

 

Ultimately, it came down a version of the Project X (can't remember exactly...) and the Modus 130x. I liked the numbers and feel of the Modus better, plus the extra weight felt great. Going to take a couple weeks to build, but excited to put the NCW's in play when the time comes. Don't expect the clubs to necessarily improve my play, but I do think they will be a good way to mix things up / have a fun second set. 

 

I also played this AM. Only a quick 9. Generally, hit the ball well, particularly my driver. Also putted really well. Made a couple ~8-10 footers and was in range on some longer ones. My chipping wasn't great, but that was partially cause my hands were frozen and the greens were frosty, so my distance control was poor. Not to make excuses but wasn't expecting it to be ~35 degrees and was not well prepare (e.g., I was wearing shorts and a light sweater). 

 

This is an obvious statement, but left the course today fully appreciating how hard it is to shoot at or under par on a regular basis. I'm hitting it great and still not there because each day there is some small deficiency. Gonna keep on grinding... 

[MelloYello]

59 minutes ago, dvq9654 said:

At the outset, we set the baseline with my current clubs (Apex Pros with Nippon 950GH). I knew going in my shafts are probably too light but went in with an open mind. Baseline showed spin was relatively low and launch was too high, so we aimed to get better numbers. 

 

If your spin was already too low, how did going to a heavier / stiffer shaft help?? Just curious. Did you end up in a significantly weaker loft club? 

[dvq9654]

1 hour ago, MelloYello said:

 

If your spin was already too low, how did going to a heavier / stiffer shaft help?? Just curious. Did you end up in a significantly weaker loft club? 

I’m not sure. I didn’t notice a correlation between shaft weight and spin. For instance, the Modus 130 spun just as much as the 105, if not more. It may be that shaft characteristics change certain dynamics of the swing and spin is similar. I’m not very technically savvy and could be off base, but the numbers said what they said and I like the feel of the 130, so hopefully that translates to real golf 

 

Stiffness is probably more of a nebulous concept given all shafts feel different / have different definitions of stiffness, so that one is hard for me to say

[gentles]

Keep up this thread really enjoying the updates - do you find cataloguing your thoughts in any way helps stay on track with changes you’re trying to make ?

[dvq9654]

 

5 minutes ago, gentles said:

Keep up this thread really enjoying the updates - do you find cataloguing your thoughts in any way helps stay on track with changes you’re trying to make ?

glad you enjoy it 

 

I find taking a few minutes to truly reflect on the round really helpful. Not to say I don’t do that no matter what,  but this thread allows me to think through a round, what was actually good, what was actually bad and any other relevant take aways.

 

I think it’s sometimes easy to play a round and walk away with a simple feeling like “my putting sucked.” But, when I write things up and try to be honest with myself, the reality may be more nuanced or complicated. It may also be more simple 

 

Going through this process regularly also highlights themes. For instance, my ball striking has generally been good, my driving has been getting me in trouble less than usual, my putting is somewhat inconsistent and my short game probably needs work. I probably would know that somewhat intuitively, but writing it down again and again makes it clear vs. intuitive 

 

I think it’s a positive overall. Not to mention I love golf and talking about it a little more is rarely a bad thing 

[betarhoalphadelta]

4 hours ago, dvq9654 said:

Went for a fitting today at No Bogeys to figure out the appropriate shafts for my NCW heads. Was a good experience.

 

Ahh, down here in my neck of the woods!

 

950GH to Modus 130x is a pretty major change. If you were that far from the "right" shaft, especially at your cap where your swing is much more consistent than mine, my guess is that this could help quite a bit...

[dvq9654]

21 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Ahh, down here in my neck of the woods!

 

950GH to Modus 130x is a pretty major change. If you were that far from the "right" shaft, especially at your cap where your swing is much more consistent than mine, my guess is that this could help quite a bit...

 

Yep - quick trip down south. Big fan on No Bogeys in general 

 

It's definitely going to be a change. That said, I have increasingly noticed how I sometimes lose track of the club cause it's so light. May be a swing fault, but some more heft may help rectify this. 

 

Now, to golf... I played this afternoon. Made it through 12 holes and then jumped around to make it back to the club house, which was a minor miracle given the pace to start the round. I was even through 12 and struck the ball really well. Summary below (in reduced form given only made it through 12)

 

Score: Even 

Fairways: 5/10

Greens: 9/12

Putts: 21

Birdies, Pars, etc.: 2 birdies, 9 pars, 1 double bogeys 

Up and Downs within ~30 yards: 2/4

Strokes Gained (Per Arccos): Overall (+2.6), Driving (+2.0), Approach (+0.4), Short (+0.2), Putting (+0)

 

My takeaways:

 

The Good

Driver Becoming a Weapon vs. Liability: I've always had a pretty rough relationship with my driver. Good from time to time, but really bad at least as often. Lately though, changes have really impacted my game to the positive. More distance and limited curve make the driver a weapon. Today, with the help of wind, I hit 5 300+ yard drives. On a couple of the par 5s, I hit 7 irons in after 330+ yard, dead straight drives. This is new to me, and I could get used to it. I'm still good for a couple poor drives a round, but the bad ones are getting more manageable. If I keep this up, it'll be a game changer

 

Ball Striking: Again with a recent theme but was really happy with my ball striking. The two par 3s played ~190 and ~210 today, both dead into the wind. Hit a pure 5 iron and 4 iron respectively to good spots on the green and made easy two puts for par. Center face contact with limited movement on each. Hit a hand full of other good irons, as well. 

 

Putting: My putting felt solid today. Didn't necessarily make a ton of ~8-12 footers, but they all burned the edges

 

The Bad

60 yards and in: Yikes, this was bad today. Essentially flubbed a ~55 yard shot after a monster drive ruining what should have been a good birdie chance, didn't really do much when given other chances, and didn't love my chipping in general. I'm coming to the conclusion this is the worst part of my game right now. It's odd cause I've felt like I've been a good scrambler at times, but it's just not there right now

 

LA Muni Fairways in Winter: Feels like every lie has an issue. Grass is super inconsistent, and tons of ball end up sitting down requiring one to really go after it. Not the end of the world but found myself scratching my head at least a few times this round. Will look forward to spring and better course conditions

 

Question - how do you go about practicing 60 and in? I don't really have access to a practice area that allows this type of practice and feel like doing it off matts will be less than ideal. Curious of any advice from those who have improved this part of their game with limited options. 

 

[AntLockyer]

Just catching up on this thread but get in touch with Bruce Rearick about remote putting coaching. He has something novel that once you go through it you realise why some people are naturally good and some aren't 

[dvq9654]

This week was super busy, so didn't have a chance to touch a club. Played a quick 9 this morning and treated it as a practice round, so took a few extra shots here or there. Overall, was a decent effort, but felt like I was a little loose so went to the range this afternoon to clean things up. A bit about each below

 

Round

As noted, I wasn't playing a "real" round so not going to give all the details, but generally hit the ball well everywhere except off the tee. Used the fact we were first off and had space to practice some chips, putts and shots in general. Hit a few drives that were essentially pop ups, which is odd. Score would have been at or near par if I played a real round. Observations below:

 

The Good

Putting (Overall):  All of my putts were exactly where I intended to hit them. Despite my complaints earlier in this thread, I'm realizing a bit more deliberate approach and focus on a point has really allowed me to hit my line. I still need some work on reading putts, but I can't really complain about the putts I'm hitting. Burned a number of edges, made a few midrange putts and all my other putts were close. 

 

Chipping: As those who have been following know, I've been a bit disappointed with this element of my game. I watched a video on youtube last night and it resonated. I think I've been leaning back too much, so really focused on getting my weight / arc forward. With this subtle change, all my strikes were solid. Weight wasn't always perfect, but I can get that on track relatively easily if I start feeling confident in my stroke. I logged my shots in Arccos as if I played my first ball today, and it showed positive strokes gained which is the first time in a while. Hopefully not a fleeting development 

 

Wedges: Hit a few really cool "small" and/or "flighted" wedges. I really find these shots to be fun, and also effective when I'm swinging well. Most memorable was a 50 from ~95 yards (50 is my ~115 club) on 18 (my 9). Was into a freshening breeze, pin was back and green is moderately elevated. Hit a low bullet dead at it. Spun back more than I was hoping, but gave me a good look from ~15 feet. I really like shot making, particularly with my wedges. Feel like it brings out the best of my game

 

The Bad 

Speed: My speed was great today, in the sense I hit almost all my putts at dying pace. However, on the muni greens, that's a recipe for some pain. Had a six footer jump uphill right at the cup leading to a miss by a fraction, largely cause ball wasn't moving very fast. I have to take it to heart that speed needs to be up on these less than ideal greens 

 

Driver: Hit some weird ones today, but really didn't hurt me all that much, thankfully 

 

I went to the range a bit later in the day and hit ~80 balls. Really wanted to focus on wrist set and speeding hands up. I have a tendency to not set my wrists very much and also get a bit lazy, so wanted to feel wrist set and fast hands as when I feel that I strike it as well as I can 

 

More exciting, in anticipation of getting my new set with Modus 130, I decided to practice with my MP33s, which have S300 shafts. I really enjoyed and benefited from the heavier shafts. I can feel my swing and the club much more. It's also been a while since I played with these, and I can tell my ball striking has improved. No doubt the blades "hurt" when you mishit it, but that's not all that common and the good strikes are so pure 

 

Riding the momentum from the range, I'm going to put my MP33s into play tomorrow for a full round at the "better" muni. Weather looks great, so should be a fun morning. If I can chip and putt well, I like my chances 

 

[gentles]

How long till you’re expecting to get the nwc irons in hand fully built ?

[dvq9654]

14 hours ago, gentles said:

How long till you’re expecting to get the nwc irons in hand fully built ?

Should be ready either late this week or next week. Challenge is I have to drive down to OC to get them. Hopefully will have them in hand by 3/20. 

[dvq9654]

Absolutely brutal round today. Started with a birdie, but then proceeded to go double, bogey, double to quickly ruin any chance at a good round. Best part was the doubles were on par 5s. Yikes... I managed to string together some good holes on the back, but that was about the only positive. 

 

I really wasn't able to do anything well (I guess my putting was decent). I think in part because my legs were fried from a hard workout yesterday, but I also just couldn't get comfortable over the ball. Felt crossed up (legs right, body left) and couldn't adjust. Not going to rehash the round cause there are no real takeaways, given everything was poor. Ended up with an 81. Time to wipe that from my memory. 

[ryan84]

If you still feel chipping is a weakness, check out James Oh, specifically his instagram if you have one. May have to dig back as a lot of his lesson/informational posts are a year or two old, but his method totally revamped my short game, and I would now consider it the strength of my game.

[dvq9654]

12 hours ago, ryan84 said:

If you still feel chipping is a weakness, check out James Oh, specifically his instagram if you have one. May have to dig back as a lot of his lesson/informational posts are a year or two old, but his method totally revamped my short game, and I would now consider it the strength of my game.

I'll definitely check him out. I've seen him on IG from time to time but must not have made it far enough down his page to find the instructional posts. I can use some help on the margins, that's for sure

[dvq9654]

Went to the range early before work yesterday. Hit a medium bucket focusing on posture, wrist set and keep path more left. 

 

I have a feeling, and somewhat validated by video, that I was creeping back towards too bent over and my path was getting a bit more right than I want, which are old habits I've been trying to work out of my game with Monte. Swings generally felt good and looked good on video, so just need to keep engraining these feels until my next lesson, which is TBD cause my schedule is too packed. 

 

I also spent about 25 minutes chipping. Was a productive session. The grass was not Kikuyu, and I think a lot of my chipping challenges relate to the type of grass. Unmanicured Kikuyu is brutal to judge, but more typical grass (not sure exactly what type of grass) is much more reliable and more similar to what I grew up on. Does anyone have any tricks for chipping off unruly Kikuyu (i.e., not the well manicured kind you see at Riviera)? 

 

Beyond the grass, I've noticed that my chipping approach has slowly changed over time, and I've started using the bounce less and been too precise. This has been a mistake, so I thought back to Monte's approach and tried to re-incorporate that feel. It worked really well when I committed to it, so will keep working on that and take it to the course 

[thejazzmarauder]

As someone looking to get (closer) to scratch this year, this thread is probably a sign that I don't play anywhere near enough golf to have a real shot at it. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by thejazzmarauder

[dvq9654]

37 minutes ago, thejazzmarauder said:

As someone looking to get (closer) to scratch this year, this thread is probably a sign that I don't play anywhere near enough golf to have a real shot at it. 

If you have a better / more grooved swing, along with a solid underpinning from years of experience I think you can do it with less golf

 

I have a lot of ingrained bad habits that are still very much getting worked out of my swing, so playing often enough is my biggest challenge, as those "major" issues rear their ugly heads surprisingly quickly, unfortunately 

[D0ch0l1d4y]

2 hours ago, thejazzmarauder said:

As someone looking to get (closer) to scratch this year, this thread is probably a sign that I don't play anywhere near enough golf to have a real shot at it. 

 

The most rounds I've played in a year is around 15. Typically 10 or less - most of them being competition rounds (because I love competitions). Maybe hitting the range that often.

 

I've dropped from a 4.5 to a 1.5 in the last year. Qualified for the state am, then missed stroke play by 1.

 

Identify your biggest leaks (putting for me) and work on that to improve. Course management is the next big leak for me. I'll shoot 73 with 6 birdies...take too many chances and will have a couple doubles or just ride the bogey train for too long trying to make up ground. I'm going to skip the range for the most part this year and opt to walk/play/practice 6-9 holes instead.

[MelloYello]

Maintaining a handicap seems pretty easy as opposed to trying to improve one. I bet you can even regain former glory without too much strain, especially if it only requires more careful decision-making or strategy. You can kind of just "flip a switch" with those things and regaining something you already had usually just takes a little effort and deliberate action. 

 

That said, it's been the case with me that improving to a level you've never previously attained is really hard and takes a lot of playing, especially if the evolution requires physical change.

 

For me, scratch seems to require what from my current perspective seems like perfect putting. My putting is really bad and it's amazing when I can simply avoid 3-putts. I'm trying to make it better to where I start making putts outside of just 2-ft but at the end of the day putts either go in or they don't. It's hard. 

[thejazzmarauder]

3 hours ago, MelloYello said:

Maintaining a handicap seems pretty easy as opposed to trying to improve one. I bet you can even regain former glory without too much strain, especially if it only requires more careful decision-making or strategy. You can kind of just "flip a switch" with those things and regaining something you already had usually just takes a little effort and deliberate action. 

 

I played something like 15 rounds in five years after college and handicap didn’t change, so definitely agree with that. Once you drop below a 5, trying to improve on your best is tough.

[Obee]

6 hours ago, MelloYello said:

Maintaining a handicap seems pretty easy as opposed to trying to improve one. I bet you can even regain former glory without too much strain, especially if it only requires more careful decision-making or strategy. You can kind of just "flip a switch" with those things and regaining something you already had usually just takes a little effort and deliberate action. 

 

That said, it's been the case with me that improving to a level you've never previously attained is really hard and takes a lot of playing, especially if the evolution requires physical change.

 

For me, scratch seems to require what from my current perspective seems like perfect putting. My putting is really bad and it's amazing when I can simply avoid 3-putts. I'm trying to make it better to where I start making putts outside of just 2-ft but at the end of the day putts either go in or they don't. It's hard. 

 

One thing to keep in mind, is that in order to become a "scratch golfer," you will likely need to get to +1 or +2 at some point. Meaning, if you want to average a scratch index over a whole year, you will like spend a few months at +0.5 to +1.5 and also some time in the 0.5 to 1.5 range -- that's just the nature of golf. So you really need to get skilled/comfortable shooting 3 to 5 under the course rating in order to get/stay at an average of scratch for an extended period of time.

 

 

[dvq9654]

Bringing this back to life. 

 

It's been a less than ideal few months golf-wise. Quick summary below:

 

Get New Clubs --> Tweak back --> Time Off --> Physical Therapy --> Start Playing Again --> Play Like Trash --> Take Lesson --> Bandon Trip --> Re-Introduce Old Feels from January --> Start Playing Good Golf Again 

 

Basically, the new set of clubs, which I've come to determine are a horrible fit due to being too stiff and potentially too heavy set off a chain reaction of playing very little golf for the last few months. As I got back into it, I was pretty terrible, but a recent lesson plus review of old video has led to some productive practice which has really improved my ball striking. On top of that, I put an old, more traditional Anser-style putter into my bag. It doesn't feel as nice as my Spider X, but I hit my line nearly every time with this putter which is a game changer. 

 

Practice-wise, my goal over the next few months is to speed up my hands while keeping my back to the target. When I do this my ball-striking improves massively. If I can couple improved ball-striking with the progress I've made recently in my putting and short game, my handicap will go down. It's going to be a very busy couple months, so practice time will be the issue, as always, but at a minimum I'll be happy to be playing decent golf again. 

 

Quick summary of yesterday's round below to show where my game is at.

 

Score: 73 

Course Par: 72

Yards: 7023

Course Rating: 71.9

Slope: 119 

Fairways: 7/14

Greens: 11/18

Putts: 29

Birdies, Pars, etc.: 1 birdie, 16 pars, 1 double bogey 

Up and Downs within ~30 yards: 6/8

Strokes Gained (Per Arccos): Overall (+3.3), Driving (-0.8), Approach (+0.1), Short (+0.3), Putting (+3.7)

 

Positives

Putting - As alluded to above, my putting has been great. I always felt I was making good putts just on the wrong line with my Spider X, and this putter seems to prove that. I hit my line what feels like every time and I'm making putts from everywhere. 

Irons - My irons have returned to "normal" with recent practice. They were lost for weeks / months, and feels good to hit the ball where you want

Chipping - This has been on point recently. Bandon awoke my creativity / focus and it's remained post trip

 

Improvements

Driver - Started strong and was absolutely horrible as the round went on. Resulted in 3 chips outs on the back 9 alone and was the culprit in the one double bogey. Need to get this to be more consistent 

Full Wedges - Have been really disappointing. Not nearly as accurate as they should be / have been. If you dive into the approach stat above, I'm gaining strokes with my irons and losing with wedges. Need to get this sorted to give myself more legit birdie chances  

 

 

 

[Long_Left]

Just found this thread, hoping you get back into it. Vaguely similar boat here but I'm 3-4 shots worse. Not necessarily trying to get down to a scratch index here (full time job, 2 kids under 12) but trying to take the rough edges off my game. Fully transformed my driver game over the last year with a lot of work, very respectable iron game and solid putter. My greenside short game is a total abomination. Yippy, jabby, all of the above, I'm in awe of your up and down stats. I can hit 15 greens and shoot 76. It's the only thing I'm working on at the moment but it's great to follow along and see others fight the good fight!