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

[bortass]

2022 has been a good year for me. I'm playing the best I ever have. I started the year with an index of 24.3 and got it down to a low of 18.2, currently 18.3. Prior to this my personal best index was 19.X back in 2012/13 (quit the game from 2013-2020). My scoring goals are still intact unfortunately but that's based off the best score of my life and I'm playing a harder course now. Now if I could find a way to not be so erratic, lol....

 

Everything is relative, but I don't feel like I suck any longer which is a big win.

 

I expect 2023 to be similar. I'll slowly keep improving and the index will trend downwards with bumps in the road.

[mikpga]

REALITITES...

 

- Left my job of 21 years.

- Started new position with GolfTec.

- Played very little in 2022 prior to late August.

- Now playing at least once a week.

 

2023 GOALS...

 

- Compete more, hopeful to play in about 7 tournaments, including US Open and US Senior Open qualifiers.

- Continue to improve maintaining my inclination to the ground throughout the time and space of my swing.

- Continue to help people LOVE the GAME.

[bladehunter]

Worst season since I began playing.  Highest my index has been since the year I started. .  And my low is +2.1.  
 

 

Next year?    I don’t know. Only goal I have right now is to be a comfortable putter.  To somehow learn how to like doing it. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by bladehunter

[Socrates]

On 11/1/2022 at 1:31 AM, b.mattay said:

Weird year for me to say this least. 
 

Battled a wrist issue (likely torn TFCC as per physio) most of the year. Started the year off hot (first 5 rounds between 71 and 66) and then suddenly was in so much pain that I couldn’t hit a driver 180 yards and shot +19 for 9 holes. After seeing physiotherapy, I got a brace (wrist widget) and got some rehab going.
 

Played less-probably stopped playing mid-round almost as much as I finished rounds, pain tolerance really varied. Somehow got down to a +4 handicap in our men’s league. 
 

Wrist started affecting me even more in the late summer and then fall when I joined a college golf team (local community college had a good team with aspirations, and I’m back to school for a semester). This was overly optimistic! Complete inability to hit an iron within 20 yards of where I was aimed all year. Scoring average around 78 for the year.
 

Pretty sure I totally tore my TFCC (or something else) on the second shot of round 1 of Nationals-was in a lot of pain and could hardly swing, let alone hit the ball halfway straight. Would have withdrawn had it been an individual event. Shot 94 day one and played the last three days hook-bunting everything around 10 feet high to the tune of 82, 79, 78. Honestly could not have played better the last three days given what I had. 
 

Positives-glimmers of hope at the start of the year. Mental game was damn near 100% efficiency all year (this has typically been the thorn in my side). 
 

Negatives-health/pain

Get an MRI and then if torn, get the surgery.  From what I have learned there is no alternative as a torn TFCC will not heal on it's own.  I have a slight tear but since I live in Canada they won't spring for an operation unless I tear it completely.  Now, if I was a professional athlete....  It's not a complicated surgery, but there will be some downtime.  

[Socrates]

On 10/17/2022 at 4:46 PM, Socrates said:

This year was a disappointment on many levels.

.....

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.

An update of sorts:

After a bit of a layoff from terrible golf, I got back at it at our local golf dome (not my favourite place to practice, but it's what we've got).  First 3-4 sessions, I was horrible.  It was like I forgot how to make a swing.  Watched a few Monte instagrams and a couple of others and got some inspiration.  Just stood in front of a mirror and made slow motion swings, concentrating on address, takeaway and top of swing.  Took that to the "range" and worked at it.  $#(*!^#@!!  Then I realized I had altered the address position from what I was doing in front of the mirror.  Made an adjustment and then BAMM!!, I was back in the groove.  Effortless.  On plane.  Center of club and down the target line.  Slept on it and went back again today to see if it was repeatable or over quicker than a one night stand.  Repeatable.  Hit every club in the bag with the same result.  Now to refine it and maintain it for 4 months.

 

Goal #1 - ✅   Now to work on the chipping and pitching.

[Jake0331]

I was able to think my way through rounds that produced a better result than they really were. The numbers were fine, I guess, I missed on several quals for some things by a stroke or two and confused good course management for something else? Honestly, I put zero effort into the game this year, practiced none and almost made it through several tough qualifiers with zero preparation. And along the way I became jaded (ish?, not sure I cared enough) and really it took my a few months to face the fact that if you don’t put the effort in then you don’t deserve the results. 
 

But in a rearward facing contemplation, my mental game was really strong I think, my patience and ability to have discipline from the tee through the green. I just didn’t practice so you are only going to hit it X close, tee shots weren’t strong enough and all the rest.
 

Blah blah blah. 

 

Move taken almost two months away from the game and look forward to getting some reps in through the winter and then hopefully having a memorable 2023. Not only to practice occasionally but to do so with purpose, because the kids are too good these days to go in blind. 

[Nard_S]

My game has been off since covid and till after recent video of swing had no clue why.

But this year I could putt, could ramp footage of putts made every round. One day had over 100 feet on 3 putts alone. Have a ton of work to fix things this Winter, detested the season except for the putting.

[North Butte]

I didn't accomplish anything with respect to golf but then again I didn't set out to. I played really well for a few weeks in the late spring/early summer but now I'm back to playing about like I did before. So that was nice. My chipping yips seem to be in remission at the moment but who knows if or when they will pop back up. I changed irons from a Callaway set to a very similar Titleist set, just because. 

 

So it's been a good year, mostly, golf-wise. No extended periods of really horrible play or being totally helpless around the greens. Just a lot of business as usual with that one 10-week spell where my handicap dipped down a few strokes and I broke 80 several times.