Accomplishments - How did 2022 treat your game? What are you taking away from it?

[MelloYello]

This is a thread to share your golfing achievements from 2022.

 

I always think it’s both practical as well as emotionally and psychologically advantageous to make a note of what you were able to accomplish during the past year. It helps me reflect upon the good things I did and reminds me that I’m better off now for having made it through whatever struggles the past year entailed.

 

Sometimes, it’s just about making friends or starting a new job. Other times, there are singular accomplishments like graduating or getting a promotion.

 

Nonetheless, here are my 2022 (golf) Achievements. There are so many good things to list, I’ve had to sort them out a bit.

 

Hopefully y’all can share some of yours as well. I’m really curious how some of you go about envisioning your game!

 

 

Scoring:

 

Finally broke par on 18-holes (multiple times)

 

Shot in the 60s (3x)

 

New personal best 9-hole score (4-under 32)

 

New personal best 18-hole score (4-under 68)

 

 

Performance:

 

Got to scratch (and have generally stayed there for ~4 months)

 

Increased my GIR (63%)

 

New personal best 9-hole GIR (9 / 9)

 

New personal best 18-hole GIR (15 / 18)

 

Fewest bogeys over 18-holes (1)

 

Vastly improved my driving (higher, longer, straighter & more consistent)

 

Putting average down to <30.9 putts per round (from somewhere in the mid-30s).

 

Birdied every hole on my home course at least 1x (eagles on 6 holes - all 4 par-5s, 1 par4 and 1 par3)

 

Hole-in-One (170-yd 6i)

 

 

Competition:

 

Won my Member-Member Flight

 

Won my club’s 4^th of July competition (an appropriate day for 2 eagles!)

 

Top-ranked player in my work league (a mix of handicaps)

 

Top-seeded team in my work league (play-offs are pending)

 

 

Bag Upgrades:

 

Switched to the Diamana TB (a much better fit for me over Tensei Pro Orange)

 

A 17^o tour issue 5w ended up being the perfect 4w

 

Bought some Srixon ‘jumbo’ blades and found they are just ideal for me

 

Switch to a face-balanced mallet putter (good-bye plumber’s neck!)

 

 

Equipment:

 

Dave Pelz Putting Tutor – A+ device (infinitely useful in practicing start-line)

 

Back 2 Basics Putting Mirror – Super helpful (mostly WRT monitoring path & face angle)

 

BOA shoes – I approve!

 

 

Other:

 

Walked ~50% of all rounds played.

 

 

 

 

Short-Comings:

 

Generally spent more on golf than I wanted to this year (~$750/mo).

 

Generally played poorly in tournaments early on.

 

Wild scoring fluctuations.

 

Mid-year Burnout. 

 

 

 

 

 

2023 Goals:

 

Maintain scratch handicap:

    > Improve sand play

    > Make more mid-range putts

    > Improve from uphill & downhill lies. 

 

Walk as often as possible

    > I avoided as much as $1,500 in cart fees this year by walking half my rounds. 

 

Reduce bills to ~$600/mo 

 

Avoid indulgences:

    > Stocked up on shorts, polos and outerwear 

    > Equipment has all been purchased

    > Cart fees

 

Reduce extreme scoring fluctuations on bad days.

 

 

2023 Dreams:

 

Shoot another personal best 18-hole score (67)

 

>> I shot between 68 and 72 a half-dozen or so times this year so it's not crazy to think I'll have some shots next year to post another personal best of 67 or better. What was so shocking about my 68 was that I missed 3 very make-able birdie putts coming in, including a 4-footer on the last hole. I felt very strange because my 68 could've absolutely been as low as 65 or 66. So I'd say there's real hope for something special again next year. 

 

Play 18-holes bogey-free

 

>> I was shocked to review my rounds and find that I had multiple instances this year of days where I made only a single bogey. Removing that final bogey from the card will surely be an elusive goal but at the same time, I wouldn't be shocked if it happens next year considering how often I play and the fact my game should begin the year in good standing and thus I'll have 8-9 months of good weather to accomplish this. 

 

.

Edited October 19, 2022 by MelloYello

[nitram]

That's a helluva good year buddy! 🍻

 

While I can't top that I'm glad to say I'm more comfortable with my "old swing" again and no longer lost on the course. Everything is coming together, I'm "trusting it" again and I'm trending between +1.3 and +2.1 over the last 5 months.

 

GIR isn't where I want it yet (61%) but short game and putting are keeping me afloat.

 

As an example I'm 72% (88/122) on sand saves in the same time span.

 

I don't expect to be +4 again (and I'm ok with that) but I can remain respectable and still have fun.

[MelloYello]

39 minutes ago, nitram said:

That's a helluva good year buddy! 🍻

 

While I can't top that I'm glad to say I'm more comfortable with my "old swing" again and no longer lost on the course. Everything is coming together, I'm "trusting it" again and I'm trending between +1.3 and +2.1 over the last 5 months.

 

GIR isn't where I want it yet (61%) but short game and putting are keeping me afloat.

 

As an example I'm 72% (88/122) on sand saves in the same time span.

 

I don't expect to be +4 again (and I'm ok with that) but I can remain respectable and still have fun.

 

Interesting information. I would definitely expect it to be hard to set goals once you're that good. Individual things like sand% are probably the only real option(s). 

 

I'm thinking next year about smaller details like that. My putting needs to continue to improve but I'd like my up&down numbers to get better as well. 

 

Once you got to scratch and beyond (and a lot of the low-hanging fruit was gone) what other kinds of things did you start to think about? 

Edited October 17, 2022 by MelloYello

[jholz]

Thanks for starting this thread. A great time of year to conduct an overall assessment of one's game and start making reasonable plans for the future.

 

I wish I could say that I've reached a similar level of accomplishment scoring wise this year and that I had as detailed a recollection of all of my stats. Unfortunately, what I have are general impressions.

 

So...

 

Overall Performance:

My goal this year was to play competent golf every time I went to the course. Regardless of circumstances, preparation, meaning, context...I wanted to be able to hit the ball solidly, eliminate truly bad shots, and just keep things reasonable all the time.

 

At my home course, this resulted in a pretty tight scoring range 74-80. Away from home, my high this season was a 92. I'm not joining the tour anytime soon, but this was a huge accomplishment for me.

 

Goals for the future:

Learn how to go lower at home. Control the high end of the score away from home.

 

Bag and Equipment:

Two things really.

 

First, this was my second year committing to a single make and model of golf ball for the entire season. I didn't even really like the ball I was playing, but the consistency does something for me. Might be psychosomatic, but it does seem to work.  I'm about to buy a few dozen of next year's balls today.

 

Second, I did make some significant equipment purchases this year. I finally got my bag pretty much exactly where I want it. Took care of my 2h/5w hole, got the 50/54/58 wedge setup I felt like I needed. Invested in some new irons. And found a new 3w combo that I love. A free Cleveland driver and Bettinardi putter from WRX added the whipped cream and sprinkles on top. Also got a Premium Titleist Stand Bag from a fellow WRXer for a very competitive price. It's a tad on the heavy side, but carrying that thing for 18 just makes me stronger...

 

Goals for the future:

The upgrades never end, of course. Driver remains a bit loose. Might look to experiment with some different shaft combos this winter. Wedges are good, but also old and used. Might invest in a set of Ping wedges. Although I do like my current 2h option, it is the least reliable club in the bag. Might look to find something new there.

 

Competition:

I kicked the crap out of all the random clowns I was paired with at the muni. Big accomplishment. 😀

 

But, I did begin keeping a legit handicap again this summer. Been about 7 years since I was actively maintaining one. It is the first step in getting myself in a position to start playing state am events again. Gotta shave some strokes off it, however.

 

Goals for the future:

Next year, get the HDCP to where it needs to be and keep it there. Year two, enter and play in a state am, single, stroke-play tournament again.

 

Specific things to Work On:

Gotta clean up play off the tee. I'm sick of shooting a 76 with - and I'm not joking - 4 of 14 fairways hit. I miss fairways by 3". Always in that heavy, heavy crap where no one walks.

 

Tighten my chipping. I can put it to 6" from 50 yards, but from 12 yards I'm lucky to get it within 5'. So frustrating. Need to focus more on landings and roll outs, as well as developing a solid confident approach to varied shots and conditions. These days I'm stuck between too many options/approaches.

 

Make more putts. I can keep myself from disaster, but just don't put the ball in the hole enough. I do think that I'm rounding a corner on this one.

 

Final Impressions:

Overall, I've had a wonderful season. I'm really enjoying my golf right now and I can see that the work I've been putting in does pay off. WRX has and continues to be a big part of that.

 

Thanks to all of you who contribute here. I have, and continue to, learn a ton from all of you. Hope your seasons have also gone well and best of luck for next year!

[nitram]

Distance, and it almost ruined golf for me. I started changing my swing to gain distance and ended up in a Ground Hog Day nightmare. That's why I refer to trusting my old swing in the prior post. The key to success for me (when I was in your shoes) was to set smaller, specific goals, and work like a dog to meet or exceed them.

 

For example; improve putting from <10 ft. by 10%. Improve lagging <40 ft. to 4 ft. circle by 10%. And finally, work on a life or death dependable tee shot. Whether it's a wood or iron is immaterial. You just have to have something you can get in the fairway you can trust and depend on every time you hit it. You''l be surprised how well the rest of your clubs will behave for you once you've done this.

[kmay__]

It kinda sucked for me, played mainly only in my weekly mens league, which unfortunately became looking for 3 other guys balls and watching 3 other guys cheat over and over. I stopped turning in a score after week 3 because it was clear it was all a joke. The terrible pace of play by the group I was stuck with, had me just playing referee every week trying to get these 3 guys around a golf course. My own game became like an after thought, and I always felt I had to just slap it around quick to try and make up for it. Didn't put in any effort at the range on trying to improve but I was in a funk all season with my mental health as well kinda feeling like its all for nothing (golf and everything else). Did get out for a few rounds with my Dad which were great, but now that I'm somewhat maturing, I can really see the negative habits and mindsets that have carried over from him to me. Short game was the only part of my game that I pretty much could rely on all season. 

 

Handicap went up, barely got any 18 hole rounds in (half dozen) and when I did they were mostly spoiled by poor attitudes and immature behavior by playing partners. (and some poor attitudes from myself as well but I keep it to myself to not affect others around me) So for next year I think I'm out on the league which sucks, or I try and book as a single every week and maybe find some others to play with. And I need to make a real effort at improving my quality of life and mental health outside of golf, so a poor performance on the course doesn't take such a toll on me mentally. I got caught in a bad habit of thinking golf is all I have and I suck at it so I basically have nothing, why am I even out here ect ect. I always feel like people who have things outside of their work and golf that bring them joy (family, health, hobbies ect) help them to have a better attitude on the course because they feel happiness and achievement from other aspects of life. Like oh well shot a bad round but I've got a wife and kids at home who love me......but all I ever think about is what a loser I am I can't even break 90 most days and work sucks and I have no one at home. Anyways maybe some sessions with a therapist are what I need to right the ship I'm a mess lol. 

 

To conclude, I still suck at golf. 

 

[GingerBubba]

Bought a new driver.

 

Still hit it 230yds though.

[Kmagnuss]

It took me over a year to do it, but I'm pretty certain I finally defeated the shanks.

Now I get to play the 'how much practice is too much' game and try to get my hcp back down to a respectable and more importantly REPEATABLE number.

[TheBear95]

Good topic... I switched to graphite shafts in my irons. Best golf decision I have ever made.

 

I broke my arm back in February of 2019 and the '19, '20 and '21 golf seasons I dealt with pain in that arm after playing. This year, no pain. I can even go to the range and hit a large bucket now without an issue. It's been nice. 

 

The game has been up and down. That said, I have made more birdies in 2022 than any other year, which has been fun.

[MattM97]

With probably 1 round left for me this year I think I can recap my season. 2022 was an odd year for sure, after 2021 where I really established my handicap and played most of my rounds in the upper 80s I was expecting a breakthrough in 2022. My goals for 2022 were: 

 

* Break 80

* Get handicap to single digits 

* Play as much as possible

* Get in better shape to play better 

 

Well with life getting back to normal after all that happened the past few years 2022 was wild. It was busy, stressful, tiring, financially draining, etc. My first goal of playing as much as possible was dashed when my friends were not able to play as much for several reasons, I was also looking at a membership but they all doubled or tripled in price to join cause of the golf boom. If I didn't join a local men's league I don't think I would have played 10x this year honestly. I'll only get in 15 rounds this year with gaps of 4-5 weeks happening a few times for various reasons. 

 

Next will touch on my physical health, I wanted to use golf as a help to get in better shape but 2022 was really rough on me mentally and just put a lot of stress on me, even with a much needed vacation it still wasn't and isn't enough and I probably got fatter than I would have liked to. But lately I've been in the gym a lot more and more aware of my diet and looking to work on my mental health so will see if I can turn that around. 

 

Onto my handicap, playing the muni I did so often hurt my handicap, it's short but mostly longer par 3s and we all know what happens if you miss. So on paper it's easy, in reality you gotta hit good shots and if you weren't a few over par your handicap was going up, I did get it back to about where I was at but never really went down. But why it never went down I'll explain below with my swing. 

 

This goes back up my physical health, it's hard to have a good and consistent swing when your fat and currently lacking flexibility. Luckily I was once athletic so I can kinda scrape something together but can only get so far with it. I've yet to see a coach (cause busy) and just worked on the range, my game off the tee is solid and becoming a strength with my FIR's sitting at about 45% but with most just a step or two off the fairway I'm probably at 60-70%. My weak point is my approach game, I use Arccos and it says I'm dropping like 5 shots in that area, I don't hit many greens a round and if I do I'm either 60+ feet away or tap in distance and it's usually the long putt. My wedge game was half decent, still dropping shots and another area I need some coaching help with and my putting wasn't bad but wasn't dropping. All of that lead to not great but not bad scores, I only shot in the 80s 2x but did tie my career best so not awful.

 

Now onto the good and I'll keep this short: 

 

Driving: it's getting better still flawed but better and can make it a real strength of my game if I get some coaching. 

 

Bunker game: this used to be my worst aspect of my game maybe next to an awful slice off the tee. But after watching a few YouTube videos and making a simple change and what to focus on and it became a strength of mine even to where I'll put myself in a bunker to give myself a better shot at a good score. Now I still have a lot to learn but it's a better foundation. 

 

Putting: I went through a grip change, much more comfortable stroke and better line just need to get that speed and green reading down. 

 

Finally goals for 2023: 

* Break 80

* Single Digit Handicap

* Travel for golf this winter

* Play 25+ rounds. 

[Cliffy2020]

Started out hot with a couple of rounds in the 60’s early in the season.  Looking to play in the city championship and some other mid-am tourneys.  Got my first hole in one and went through a bit of a golf hangover.

 

Death in the family lead to no play, no tourneys, little interest & the yips.

 

New driver purchase has resparked interest and experimenting with putters and putting grip styles.  The weather is turning and I’m having trouble breaking 80 so there’s that.

 

Goals for the remainder of the year and into 2023.  Play a few more rounds and just have fun if and when I can.  Winter workouts and garage swing grind sessions again (video, launch monitor, etc). Wear out my putting mat.  Defend my winter golf sim league title again and be ready for outdoor golf before it’s time to golf outdoors.
 

 

[BraxtonFullerton]

1 year old at home, didn't have much of a goal this year other than to actually get out and play. That said, I've played 14 rounds on the year...

The Good: Driver play has been good most of the year. Got some pull/hooks that creeped in midway, but a stance/setup change fixed it.

The Bad: 100-yard and in game is atrocious. Who knew you really really have to get practice in with your short game to score well?!?

 

Equipment changes: Spent the money to get a putter custom made to fit my stroke. Lag and start lines are way better. Put a 4W in the bag for shorter tee shots and long par 5s and got an iron fitting at the end of Sept... turns out playing shafts that have you 5-6* toe down isn't ideal!!

Will need to invest in shafts that can handle my swing heading into next year.

[MelloYello]

42 minutes ago, Cliffy2020 said:

Started out hot with a couple of rounds in the 60’s early in the season.  Looking to play in the city championship and some other mid-am tourneys.  Got my first hole in one and went through a bit of a golf hangover.

 

Death in the family lead to no play, no tourneys, little interest & the yips.

 

New driver purchase has resparked interest and experimenting with putters and putting grip styles.  The weather is turning and I’m having trouble breaking 80 so there’s that.

 

Goals for the remainder of the year and into 2023.  Play a few more rounds and just have fun if and when I can.  Winter workouts and garage swing grind sessions again (video, launch monitor, etc). Wear out my putting mat.  Defend my winter golf sim league title again and be ready for outdoor golf before it’s time to golf outdoors.
 

 

 

 

You know, sometimes you just have to get away for a bit. 

 

During both the last couple years I've had to take mid-summer breaks. Something about playing March, April, May and June....by the time July comes around it's 100^o outside and you just need a break from it. 

 

When that feeling hits next year I'm not going to get surprised and overreact. I'm just going to acknowledge it and take a few weekends off. 

[Socrates]

This year was a disappointment on many levels.

 

• A prolonged winter, followed by flooding meant my first 18 hole round was June 6th.
• Also found out that I have Osteoarthritis in my right big toe.  Sqairz shoes were a big success. 
• Combine that with Golfer's Elbow which plagued me all winter and I really didn't hit balls for 7 months.  Any momentum I had in the fall was lost and so was my short game.
• My chipping game, which I had high hopes on getting sorted out, became disastrous at times.  Even bought a Chipr which really didn't solve the issue.
• I had hopes that solving that riddle would allow me to inch closer to a very low single digit hcp. Not.
• The lone highlight of the year was that the driver was almost flawless.  Over 83% FIR.  The downside is that I couldn't hit a green from the middle of the fairway and I can't tell you how many times I made bogey from the short stuff.
• Solved my putting woes in the last 1/2 of the season, so that is a plus.

 

Some Goals:

• All is not doom and gloom with the game.  I think I'm making progress on the swing issues and have a couple of things to work on during the off months.  Neither of which should be too difficult to achieve with some guidance from my instructor.
• Work some more on the chipping game and figure out the short iron miss issue (see above).
• I seem to have the toe and the elbow issues at point they are manageable and not a hinderance to allowing practice. 
• Goal is get back to a 4 and stay there or go lower. 
• And play more because twice a week isn't enough to keep sharp.

[geesecougar2]

Quantitatively:

• Lowest handicap ever: 4.2
• First score in the "low" 70's: 2-over 72
• First under-par 9: 2-under
• First ever round with no 3-putts (I average at least four 3-putts every round)

Qualitatively:

• Generally can avoid the big miss much better since I started using a more square-to-open clubface at address
• More reliable short game after developing a go-to shot for high and low chips/pitches using a more upright setup
• A game that travels better, with many instances of sub-40 nine hole scores on tough new courses (and bad scores more coming from bad strategy due to not knowing the course)
• Fade ballflight has been more reliable than ever after putting a lot of work on Trackman to get my face-to-path on point

Next season I have two goals: get my handicap under 4, and break 80 at Bethpage Black from the back tees (not the tips)

Edited October 17, 2022 by geesecougar2

[SwingBlues]

If @jholz does not mind, I'll borrow his template for the reply...

 

Overall Performance:

This has been a STELLAR year for me personally.

 

It now been 2 years and 1 month into my complete swing change from regular 2 plane swing to the Single Plane Swing.

 

Started 2022 playing regularly and consistently, dropped my cap from 8 to about a 3 mid year. Then early in the year, I toyed with a 10 finger grip and suddenly my drives were short. Talked to some folks here like @Snowman9000 (who was fantastic) to see whats going on. However, in the end, I ended the experiment and went back to my Vardon and the speed came back up again.

 

Also this year, getting picked as the GolfWRX tester for Mezz was absolutely HUGE, HUGE, HUGE. The putter is insanely good. Very different to my Directed Force that I had for 5 years earlier. With that, I have had more sub-Par & Par rounds this year than any year I can remember. Last month, I had 2 Eagles, which is rare for me in such short period. Always help to start it off with a nice long drive...

 

Last week, I shot my best round ever -5 at Balboa GC with a bogey on Hole #1. Go figure

 

Goals for the future:

My mid irons are my weakness, gotta work more on that. Full swing still needs more repetition to ingrain in. Need to stop being lazy and do more self SLO-MO reviews but I hate looking at myself but I need to. Forcing myself to review my own swing brought up many ugly, ugly motion.

If I can see it, I can fix it.

 

Bag and Equipment:

Irons - Cobra Forged Tec X are money and while it took me a long while to get use to the light TGI 85s (that's all Cobra offered and I usually play the TGI 95 taper tips). I really love the feel of these irons, long and soft. No hot bullets from the round like my Gen 1 P790s. I may reshaft them to TGI 95s but I am waivering...

 

Wedges - Play a 48* and then 56*, CBX2 and Full Face respectively. TGI 100s. May be next year I will look at the Edel SMS 56*, may be. For me, it's hard to justify changing these work horses. I've had a lot of chip ins with them, they feel good and give me the spin (or not) and I can control them. Bounce is perfect for me off hard pan summer fairways.

 

Driver - Rogue ST Max with the GD-AD XC-6S is insanely good. OH MAN, it makes me feel like I was 10 years younger. Insanely, insanely great. However, being a WRXer, I will look forward to the 2023 Callaway offering, or the G430 or, dare I even mention it here from self titled "Mr.I.will.never.play.Titleist" - the TSR2. Either way, the Max and XC combo will stay in the backup bag, next to the Sim Max.

 

As a side note, the All-Fit Universal is a blessing to cut down the cost of WRX Hoing. Nothing like switching the same shaft into the many OEM test heads. Bounce from Sim Max, G425, Sim 2 to Rogue ST just like that. Totally, totally ❤it.

 

VoiceCaddie T9 GPS - never would I think a GPS watch would be such a factor but I love the T9s ability to track all my shots and especially my drives, distance and dispersion. This is AMAZING to provide me with real yardage data for the driver combination I am using.

 

Goals for the future:

The JPX923 has my attention. If I do, I will pull out my JPX921 heads and slot the 923 heads into the TGI 95s. Right now, money is tight so no bueno. Plus I am happy with the Cobras.

 

Competition:

Been playing with my regular buddies with some money. Golf for me is fun right now and just the sweet spot in life.

 

Goals for the future:

I just don't have any desire right now to go back to the official tournys. While I enjoyed the Mens tourny when my other buddy was around, it ain't fun no more since he passed. Especially when we won $$$ as a team as well. It's a pass for now.

 

Specific things to Work On:

More Single Plane Swing work and incorporating more video feedback on full swing.

More putting work and again, use more video feedback

Test the changes. Test. Test. To make sure it works and will last.

 

Keep to my light schedule. I spend only a few hours a week hitting balls. I also do repeated motion drills without hitting balls & video feedback. I think this is light enough. Long gone are the 5 days a week as a range rat. In hindsight, I was over working, working on the wrong stuff as well and clobbering my mind with gobble-dee-gook messages.

 

Also, I never tested the swing changes so it was here one day & gone the next.

 

Final Impressions:

2022 has been a lot of fun. Golf is FUN. I think I have figured out the right formula of training/practice for me. Got a good feedback system to train as well as a post round feedback to see what I need to work on.

 

2023 should be even better. OH YEAH 💯❤🍻

 

To finish, GolfWRX has been incredible for me, resource wise and friendliness of the folks here, many whom I PM with.

 

Shout outs to @M44km44k @Snowman9000 @OspreyCI @dmael @ajlacombe for bouncing ideas/feedback/thoughts,  @labgolf @VoxxGolf for the opportunities👍

Edited October 18, 2022 by SwingBlues

[phizzy30]

Dropped my index one stroke which is big for me considering I'm already low single cap.  Driver is finally becoming more consistent now and I don't have a two way miss like I did before.  I finally had an aha moment in January and am back to compressing my irons therefore slowly getting my distance control back.  I too like you, switched from a 1K Pro Orange to the Diamana TB which is partially the reason my driver is more reliable.  I don't have to go after it as hard to hit up as much to get optimal numbers and surprisingly finding the sweet spot more often.  This comes as a surprise to me as blue board profile shafts normally don't work for me for driver.  I'd like to eventually work my way down to scratch which means more time practicing especially on my short game even though putting is my strong suit.  I really suck at 50 yards and in though. 

[kadey]

My goal this year was to break 90, which I finally did when I started transitioning my swing from a ball-bound swing to a swing-to-target swing. This transition (not fully complete yet) has allowed to me to greatly reduce my bad misses, hitting more fairways and sniffing more greens in regulation. 

[Robert L.]

My ultimate goal this year was to show improvement, which I believe I have succeeded at. While I generally don't keep in depth statistics, this is what I've been able to accomplish this season.

 

At the course I usually play at, Hillcrest Country Club in Leicester, MA, which is a 9-hole course, I have parred every hole at least once, and I have also birdied every hole except the par-3 5th, the par-5 6th, and the par-4 9th. They may have to wait until next year. I also shot the best round of my life a couple of rounds ago, a 39.

 

This past year I have been working on my fundamentals of grip, stance, and swing. I have a homemade heavy club made from a steel bar from Home Depot, an old 4-iron head epoxied on, and a training grip. It's really very heavy, and I swing it very slowly about ten times. It goes without saying that I've never hit a ball with this club! However, it's allowed me to groove a solid, repeatable swing, which has been critical to showing improvement.

 

The next thing I've done is work on my short putts in my living room. Three foot putts, over and over again. These putts are critical, since sinking it can lead to a par and sometimes a birdie. A miss can also lead to a bogey or worse, so these short putts need to be practiced often.

 

I've also watched a lot of YouTube videos, especially from the British PGA professionals like Rick Shiels, Peter Finch, Andy Carter, Danny Maude, and my current favorite, Matt Fryer. It's amazing what you can learn from watching YouTube videos!

 

All in all while I'm very satisfied with the improvement I'm showing I also realize that there still is much room for improvement. It's said that golf is a game that can never be mastered, but I do think that a player can arrive at a good  understanding of the game. I only wish I had that understanding of the game back in my younger days.

 

So there it is. Next year I'm planning on getting myself an official USGA handicap, and hopefully continuing to improve. I have to get myself in shape, get stronger, and lose some weight. It'll give me something to do over the winter.

[BeTheBall_]

2022:

 

Cut 7 strokes off my handicap

Finally started to understand my misses

Broke 80 for the 1st time

Actually managed to play a bit more golf

 

2023 aims:

 

Fix my broken body lol

Get HC to single figures

Break 80 consistently

Learn to putt!

 

 

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

I set a goal to beat my dad - didn't happen.  He joined a weekly league and got substantially more practice than I did.

 

For my blog, I do a $50 Thrift Store Challenge - build a set of clubs (with bag and balls) for $50 then play a round.  Did that, and found that the clubs I had found are wildly inconsistent.  I should chronicle my next round on the forums here.

 

I had lessons at the end of 2021.  2022 was a great opportunity to put what I'd learned into motion.

I had the wonderful fortune of winning one of the GolfForever swing trainers.  Even though I didn't use it regularly, I saw near immediate gains including a 10 yard increase on my 9 iron and more consistent swingspeeds up and down the bag.

[getitdaily]

Started off the year just striping the ball. Made a tweak in November of last year to compress the ball better. That move was instantly better. 

 

But practicing that move caused me to be a bit steeper and caused tendinitis in my lead elbow that wouldn't go away. I played through it and had some rounds that got away from me. 

 

The good:

-Drove the ball better than last year. Stealth+ is legit. 

-iron play was better than last year

 

The bad:

- putting...way worse than last year until...(see below)

- par 3 gir - I started to get cute with par 3s again this year. My par 3 gir was down and it cost me good scores

- handicap crept up from +1.6 to .4

 

Ended the year strong though..shot -3 for 3 days this past weekend in a big season finale tournament to finish T8 out of 100 low cap guys. 

 

Putting...in the offseason I went to work to fix my out to in path. Spent a lot of time repping on my mat after putting a sharpie line on it. The stroke was much better. But my putting was worse. Went through a string of putters and started to hone in on what I needed. By chance, I found it. Putter and stroke now match and I'm back to only worrying about speed. I also recently incorporated tempo as part of putting practice. That'll be a staple now. 

 

No swing changes this off season. I like where things are. I'm going to buy a launch monitor and do all long game practice in my backyard so I can get more reps. That should be fun.

[dsmil]

Accomplishments

 

1) Playing more golf.  I have 23 rounds (mostly 9 holes) under my belt this year, and I brought my 7 year-old to most of those, with my 5 year-old also coming a handful of times.  It's pretty empty at my home course after 4 pm, so that lets me play stress free with the kids.

 

2) Getting more comfortable with the driver.  I have more than enough distance for my level, but my driver has always been a problem.  My plan for most of this year was to use driver as much as possible, even if it's not technically the smartest play.  I want to raise the ceiling of my game, even if it costs me some strokes in the short term.  This year I improved my off-the-tee handicap from a 13 to a 10, and since bagging a G425 Max for the last 5 rounds, it's been at a 5 handicap level.  I think that I can keep it at that level next year, as I'll be making smarter decisions off the tee rather than simply using the driver for practice.

 

3) Dropping my handicap.  My handicap fell from a 10.5 to an 8.3, and 6 of my 8 handicap scores are within my last 10 rounds, so I'm pretty confident that I'll be in the 7's soon.  I pretty much accepted that I'd be in the 10's for awhile, at least until my kids were a lot older, so this has been a pleasant surprise.  I played a lot more golf than usual and that has been key.  Golf wise, I attribute this to keeping my driver in play more.  My irons have always been the strongest part of my game so if I can get off the tee cleanly, I expect to be on the green/fringe, or with an easy chip left.

 

4) Got healthy.  I struggled with De Quervain's tenosynovitis for most of 2021 (pain at bottom of my thumb/wrist area of lead hand).  I think some of this could have been caused (or not helped) by doing speed training and spending a lot of time at the driving range.  This year, I cut back on my range time, and when I did go, I would get a 40 ball bucket.  I don't think that this is 100% healed, but with my reduced practice time, I never felt pain while playing.

 

 

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Finally started turning a corner with some swing changes and have seen much better striking. One main benefit is my speed has returned to where it was when I was in college which was a welcome surprise. Combination of better use of hips and some speed training along with practicing and playing a bit more. Finished decently in the city amateur and narrowly missed qualifying for the US Mid am.

 

Goal is to keep improving and qualify for a big state or national level event next summer.

[iutodd]

It wasn't a very good year:

 

1.) Didn't set a scoring PR (76).  Just could never put it together over 18 holes.  My excuse is that I have 3 kids and just don't have a lot of time.  However I broke 40 a bunch.  And I had one memorable day where I had 3 birdies in 9 holes and shot even.

 

2.) Got a push cart.  It's a Big Max Ti-Lite and I love it.  Walking is SO much better than riding in a cart.  

 

3.) Handicap went up.  I don't have an official handicap but it's easy enough to calculate...last year I was around an 8 and now I'm up to an 11.  I just am not consistent enough and honestly I just didn't have the time this summer to really focus on putting it all together.  Three kiddos...

 

4.) Had to rebuild my entire bag and am happy with it.  I could probably get a better shaft in the driver but it's performing well enough for me.  I have a 50/54/60 wedge setup that I wanted to try and it's been working as I'd hoped.  I also have dropped long irons in favor of hybrids.  I just hit them so much better and more consistently.

 

I do have more time now that all my kids are in school.  I can get out and play 9 basically anytime. And my last 5 rounds have been much better than my average from the last 20.  GIR for last 20 was 53% and putts per hole was 2.0.  The last 5 rounds have been 63% GIR and 1.9 putts per hole.  So I'm trending right.  

 

I am considering joining a club we have around here that has indoor simulators so I can keep playing over the winter.  

 

[otto6457]

It was an odd season for me.  I felt like my game was competitive at the beginning of the tournament season. Failed to make it through every qualifier I entered.  Shot some good (not great)  rounds and came up short.

 

Then had several good rounds in local tourneys but no silverware.  Never really got it going.  I suspect this is my new reality.  My competitive career is waning pretty quickly.

 

But next year is already being prepared for because hope springs eternal.

[Socrates]

15 hours ago, SwingBlues said:

If @jholz does not mind, I'll borrow his template for the reply...

 

Overall Performance:

This has been a STELLAR year for me personally.

 

It now been 2 years and 1 month into my complete swing change from regular 2 plane swing to the Single Plane Swing.

 

Started 2022 playing regularly and consistently, dropped my cap from 8 to about a 3 mid year. Then early in the year, I toyed with a 10 finger grip and suddenly my drives were short. Talked to some folks here like @Snowman9000 (who was fantastic) to see whats going on. However, in the end, I ended the experiment and went back to my Vardon and the speed came back up again.

 

Also this year, getting picked as the GolfWRX tester for Mezz was absolutely HUGE, HUGE, HUGE. The putter is insanely good. Very different to my Directed Force that I had for 5 years earlier. With that, I have had more sub-Par & Par rounds this year than any year I can remember. Last month, I had 2 Eagles, which is rare for me in such short period. Always help to start it off with a nice long drive...

 

Last week, I shot my best round ever -5 at Balboa GC with a bogey on Hole #1. Go figure

 

Goals for the future:

My mid irons are my weakness, gotta work more on that. Full swing still needs more repetition to ingrain in. Need to stop being lazy and do more self SLO-MO reviews but I hate looking at myself but I need to. Forcing myself to review my own swing brought up many ugly, ugly motion.

If I can see it, I can fix it.

 

Bag and Equipment:

Irons - Cobra Forged Tec X are money and while it took me a long while to get use to the light TGI 85s (that's all Cobra offered and I usually play the TGI 95 taper tips). I really love the feel of these irons, long and soft. No hot bullets from the round like my Gen 1 P790s. I may reshaft them to TGI 95s but I am waivering...

 

Wedges - Play a 48* and then 56*, CBX2 and Full Face respectively. TGI 100s. May be next year I will look at the Edel SMS 56*, may be. For me, it's hard to justify changing these work horses. I've had a lot of chip ins with them, they feel good and give me the spin (or not) and I can control them. Bounce is perfect for me off hard pan summer fairways.

 

Driver - Rogue ST Max with the GD-AD XC-6S is insanely good. OH MAN, it makes me feel like I was 10 years younger. Insanely, insanely great. However, being a WRXer, I will look forward to the 2023 Callaway offering, or the G430 or, dare I even mention it here from self titled "Mr.I.will.never.play.Titleist" - the TSR2. Either way, the Max and XC combo will stay in the backup bag, next to the Sim Max.

 

As a side note, the All-Fit Universal is a blessing to cut down the cost of WRX Hoing. Nothing like switching the same shaft into the many OEM test heads. Bounce from Sim Max, G425, Sim 2 to Rogue ST just like that. Totally, totally ❤it.

 

VoiceCaddie T9 GPS - never would I think a GPS watch would be such a factor but I love the T9s ability to track all my shots and especially my drives, distance and dispersion. This is AMAZING to provide me with real yardage data for the driver combination I am using.

 

Goals for the future:

The JPX923 has my attention. If I do, I will pull out my JPX921 heads and slot the 923 heads into the TGI 95s. Right now, money is tight so no bueno. Plus I am happy with the Cobras.

 

Competition:

Been playing with my regular buddies with some money. Golf for me is fun right now and just the sweet spot in life.

 

Goals for the future:

I just don't have any desire right now to go back to the official tournys. While I enjoyed the Mens tourny when my other buddy was around, it ain't fun no more since he passed. Especially when we won $$$ as a team as well. It's a pass for now.

 

Specific things to Work On:

More Single Plane Swing work and incorporating more video feedback on full swing.

More putting work and again, use more video feedback

Test the changes. Test. Test. To make sure it works and will last.

 

Keep to my light schedule. I spend only a few hours a week hitting balls. I also do repeated motion drills without hitting balls & video feedback. I think this is light enough. Long gone are the 5 days a week as a range rat. In hindsight, I was over working, working on the wrong stuff as well and clobbering my mind with gobble-dee-gook messages.

 

Also, I never tested the swing changes so it was here one day & gone the next.

 

Final Impressions:

2022 has been a lot of fun. Golf is FUN. I think I have figured out the right formula of training/practice for me. Got a good feedback system to train as well as a post round feedback to see what I need to work on.

 

2023 should be even better. OH YEAH 💯❤🍻

 

To finish, GolfWRX has been incredible for me, resource wise and friendliness of the folks here, many whom I PM with.

 

Shout outs to @M44km44k @Snowman9000 @OspreyCI @dmael @ajlacombe for bouncing ideas/feedback/thoughts,  @labgolf @VoxxGolf for the opportunities👍

It's great to see someone succeed. 👏    It sucks that this wasn't my write-up.  😢 Maybe next year.

[FormerBigDaddy]

Found that I can hit the ball rather terribly but keep it in play enough to maintain handicap under 10.  Had very very few rounds where I stuck the ball solidly.  I've had countless rounds this year without a single flushed shot.  Very frustrating year bc I've had YEARS of being a higher HC golfer where I hit the ball pure way more consistently.  But also consistently off line as well... don't know if the trade off is worth it.  Keeping it in play with lots of thin and fat shots is not very satisfying.  Pretty crazy feeling to be an 8 HC and know I cannot hit a shot solid often.  I seriously look like a 30HC hitting a hybrid/wood off the deck.  Sometimes I can't even get them off the ground!  Thank god for technology and forgiveness of drivers these days.  Thankfully I still get about 250yds out a of complete mishit with the driver.  With that said my short game definitely improved this year.  Much more consistent around the greens.  Goal for next year is to figure out how to hit it solid again and pair it with improved short game.

Edited October 18, 2022 by FormerBigDaddy

[RichieHunt]

I don't think I logged in 20 rounds this year.  Least amount of golf for me in a long, long time.  Part of it was due to making big swing changes.  I hate to keep making swing changes, but last year I played some of the best golf of my life for 5 months only for my swing to completely fall apart come October.  

 

The other problem was that I had shoulder and elbow issues, big time, up until about April.

 

Since I left Florida, I was no longer able to work with my old instructor Josh Koch.  I started watching the videos put out by Dr. Kwon and that helped clear up some of the things Josh and I were working on.  That worked well for a little while, but I still didn't see the progress I wanted.  I then sought out Rick Murphy and we got on GEARS and HackMotion.  After 3 lessons I feel like we've made significant improvement.  I've changed the following:

 

1. Grip (going from a strong trip with the fingers spread apart to a more neutral grip with no gap between the fingers. I've also learned to hold the grip more firmly.

 

2.  Wrist action.  Getting more lead wrist flexion in the backswing and in transition.  Went from +3/+40/+15  to +10/+5/-5 on HackMotion

 

3.  Lowerbody action, particularly in the backswing.  Using more shear force in the backswing and getting more trail hip flexion in the backswing.  Result is I get more 'true' turn, reducing sway and being able to use the ground more.

 

4.  Shoulder girdle action thru impact.  Getting the trail shoulder working more under to help with the path and getting more upper thoracic spine extension thru impact.

 

5.  Getting off my trail side in the downswing, particularly thru impact.

 

I feel like I understand the concepts and can execute them, I just need to get more reps so I can do it consistently.  

 

My goal is to get about 90% of what Rick feels I need to work on by the end of the year and then work on speed training with the Stack System during the winter months while doing cardio for at least 1 hour a day to improve endurance and lose belly fat (admittedly there's a lot of that).

 

 

***

 

Equipment wise I barely made any changes outside of adding Edel's SMS wedges to my bag.  I lost my 52-degree wedge.  I have issues with the 56 degree (I've always struggled with 56 degree wedges), but love the Lob wedge.

 

Most of my equipment changes settle around the grip.  I've settled on the JumboMax JMX UltraLight Standard Jumbo grip for now.  I like the size and the lightweight design, but the feel on shots isn't exactly great.  I may consider finding a 50 gram rubber jumbo grip and taping the hell out of it if I can find one that doesn't weigh too much.

 

 

***

 

Putting wasn't good because I didn't practice it much.  Tried a 'look at the hole while putting' method for 2 months and it's just not for me.  I probably need to get another lesson.  I've putted worse, but it was far from good.  Short game was bad as well, probably the worst it has been since I can remember.  'Hanging back' has really killed my game the past couple of years whether it be the swing, putting, short game, etc.  

 

I haven't practiced the short game much since my junior golf days, but could get up to speed very quickly.  I will need to get more practice time in next year.

 

Overall 2022 was a learning process for me as well as recovering from getting burned out on the game in 2021 where I played well, practiced and played a lot only for it to come crashing down at the most critical time (club championship).  

 

2022 was more about rebuilding and finding something sustainable into 2023, particularly if I have to take time off when relocating again and buying a new home (hopefully in the Spring).

 

 

 

 

 

RH

 

 

[dsmil]

18 minutes ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

Found that I can hit the ball rather terribly but keep it in play enough to maintain handicap under 10.  Had very very few rounds will I stuck the ball solidly.  I've had countless rounds this year without a single flushed shot.  Very frustrating year bc I've had YEARS of being a higher HC golfer where I hit the ball pure way more consistently.  But also consistently off line as well... don't know if the trade off is worth it.  Keeping it in play with lots of thin and fat shots is not very satisfying.  Pretty crazy feeling to be an 8 HC and know I cannot hit a shot solid often.  I seriously look like a 20HC or worse hitting a hybrid/wood off the deck.  Goal for next year is to figure out how to hit it solid again.  

 

This just shows how far keeping it in play, not making big errors, and getting the ball somewhere close to the green can do for scores.  6 GIR pars, 4 up and down pars, 7 bogeys, and 1 double gets you to 9 over par, which is a great score for the vast majority of golfers.  I played 9 holes this past weekend and shot +4, while hitting zero GIR and two fairways.  But I didn't have any penalties and I got up and down a few times.