quest to break 100

[bortass]

I got out and played a 9 hole round. This is the first round in quite awhile. My understanding is it rained 21 days in June up here/ the weathers been pure crap.

 

I played gorham CC which is where I get lessons ans is my home course for GHIN purposes. The drainage isn't the greatest here so things are very wet still. I got splattered in mud just fronm the wheels of my push cart kicking muddy water back at me. I haven;t posted the results iof a round in awhile here, so here goes.

 

1 par 4 - 7w, 165 a touch right but in a playable loacation. I'm about 150 out so it's a 5i, which a slice about 120 ish. The ball is in a playable location and try a 3/4 swing with my 52* wedge. I get on with a long putt for par. I 3 jacK for bouble bogey. Not awesome but I kept the ball in play and a dbl bogey is ok.

 

2 par 4 - 7w 175 a bit to the left. There's a twosome right in front of me on the green but I'm about 160ish out. I don't have a 160 club so I decided to play 2 3/4 52* wedge shoots which should be about 160 or a bit shorter then that. I hit the first one and it seemed a touch short but the pin seems to be towards the front of the green. I hit another one and leave it short of the green. i'm in chipping range and look in my bag for my 56* wedge and can't find it. i see my 52* and realize i played the last 2 shots with my 56* because it's still in my hands. DOH! :black eye: I end up needing 2 chips to get on and 3 putts for 7. Bah!

 

3 par 4 - the twosome in front of me tell me to play through since thewy are gonna wait for the single who's behind me. I have an audience and a play through, so I top my 7w about 50 yards. They laugh at my 'I suck joke' and comment that they do they same. I hit 7w again and it's a nice low shot and I'm about 150 out from center. I'm elevated at least 10 yards and there's a stream carry. I can't do 2 3/4 wedge shots because of the dowslop and stream. So I pull 6i and go for it. I hit a nice shot that I thought was going to be right of the green but safely across. I think I see my ball to the right and short of the green as I near the crest of the drop off. My spirits are good and I'm thinking I need to thank my wife for suggesting I go play today. This is the best weather we've seen in a month and I'm doing ok on the course. I follow the cart path around the back of the green and I see a ball. It looks like mine but it's just over the green. I go look short and right of the green and no ball. The make and model is right so i guess i didn't lose it right after all. I play a topflite( I know) D2 feel. I don't always mark my ball because i play solo at times and no one in my group plays them. I've also never picked one up on the course before. I chip on and 3 putt for a 7. Damn, I though I was a better putter then this!

 

4 par 3 - playing 145 to center, elevated green and you need to cary a stream. I suck at par 3s. I pull 6i and made great contact. The ball sounded good and took off from the club face. It looks like I'm gonna launch it long over the green into the trees. I see the ball land near the green though. I think it hit a tree and I got a lucky bounce but I'm a touch fuzzy on it now. Regardless it went 150 and i'm on the back right fringe and the flag is front left. I decide to use my putter instead of chipping. I curve the ball right behind the hole inside a foot. Awesome lag and sunk my putt for par.

 

I'm not sure how I should count a putt from the fringe. I want to say it's a chip since i'm not on the green and i normally only counts strokes made with my putter while on the green as a putt.

 

I'm happy. i got a par and things are looking up.

 

5 long par 4 - Slice the 7w, off the toe, about 50 yards since it hit a tree and dropped. The ball has settled into a low spot with long grass. I decide a 3/4 wedge into the farway. I catch it thin but it's in the fairway. I'm about 220 out still, a 6i and 3/4 52* wedge should cover that distance. I dub the 6i and i'm about 170 out. I could try 7w but decide on PW and a 3/4 wedge after that to get on. I have a slight dowhill lie and I hit the PW ok. I'm about 50 yards out or so, so i try a 1/2 wedge shot. I skull this long over the green. I chip on and 2 putt for a snowman. So much for a good round but the sun is out and i'm not frustrated,.

 

6 par 3 playing 150 - I tee up the 5i and make ok contact. I lose it a touch right( a trend!) but I find the ball on the right of the green. I have a good lie and I chip on. It's cool when I chip the ball and I can see the backspin on it. I just miss the cup and it rolls 3 feet past. Maybe it would have gone in if I hadn't rolled a few inches to the right but who knows. I line up my putt and sink it for poar. Woohoo, I got par on both par 3s! I understand these are supposed to be the easiest holes on the course but they give me fits.

 

7 par 4 - Slice my tee spot with the 7w into the trees. No sign of it anyplace so I drop a ball.Yes, I should have played a provisional or walked back to the tee. This is the area I get a shady following the rules. Maybe that's why the golf gods are displeased with me. I go through a small series of mishits, mostly fat, to get about 30 yards out in 4 including the drop. I fluff my first pitch and need a second to get on. I have a long downhill putt. I miss but end up within 2 feet of the cup. I screw up an easy putt and settle on another 3 putt. I card a 9. I really feel like I was hacking the ball around on this hiole.

 

8 par 4 - 120 yards 7w. I'm ona slight dowslope in fairway grass. The range is right for a 7w then a 3/4 wedge. I hit the ball maybe 20 yards left OB, I lost my grip on the club in my backswing! Drop a ball and slice it towards some trees. I figure a nice easy 7i punch shot under the tree branches into the fairway. I get too much air hit a branch and just drop. I hit my pitch fat and go no wheres. Another pitch and i'm short. I chip on and 2 putt for a 10. This hole is in my head a bit. I really just hacked my way around the hole.

 

9 par 5 from hell - I pull driver to try to clear the corner of the dogleg. I call this the Ronzo since he's the one to suggest it. I hit a nice drive with the big stick about 190. This may sound short but it's an uphill teeshot, and I'm a short hitter anyways. My ball cleared the corner and is near the top of the hill. It's a couple inches below my feet. 7w and 3/4 wedge sound good to me. I mess up the 7w and only advance 30 yards or so. So I hit 6i and make fairly good contact. i'm 74 yards from center. the pin is on the front lower tier of this green. I pull my 52* wedge and make a 3/4 swing. I don't know what i did but i launched this about 104 yards according to my GPS. i did get the ball in the air, so it wasn't a skulled worm burner. The ball was on some real soft ground so I don't know if that's what did it or if I overswung somehow. I chip short and use my putter from the fringe. I had to deal with the drop off on the green from the tier and left my ball well short of the hole but on the lower teir. 3 putts later I was done w/ a 9.

 

So I'm counting anything from the fringe with my putter as a chip. I had an awesome(not) 59 with 21 putts. My putting is definately suspect. I need to workout my issues with the flatstick.

 

I feel like I had some course management issues but there were holes where i couldn't get a good swing if my life depended on it. the most frustrating part of this, is that I've regressed and i'm not getting closer to my goal. It brings legitimate questions about how badly do I want this? Am I deluding myself regarding my practice effort (though I'll blame the weather for now)? Should I just shutup until I do break 50/100, if ever?

 

The glimmers of hope for me. I did good on my 2 par 3s. The Ronzo driver strategy on the par 5 9th has worked both times I tried it, even though I misplayed the hole each time after that. Parts of my shortgame were good, though most were crap.

 

I do have a playing lesson tommorow morning. I am really excited about this. I can't wait to see what happens, though I fully expect the pro to fix my swing. Something went south in my last lesson and I'm back to losing the ball right. I also expect him to jump on my short game. that'll be good though.

 

Lastly and most importantly, I had fun out there and it was relaxing. Yes, I am disapointed in my score and I was frustrated later in the round. I'm no pro and I golf for leaisure and todays round fit the bill even though I mostly suck.

[q-school]

can you hit a punch shot? i continue to think 7w is a terrible choice off the tee. i'd much rather see 5iron than 7 wood if you are having problems with topping the ball. you're topping too many balls, imo, so you need to fix whatever causes that-sway or lift or whatever. maybe your pro can help you get rid of that problem tomorrow. good luck. it sound like if you can stop topping the ball, you'd be right where you'd want to be score wise.

[bortass]

can you hit a punch shot? i continue to think 7w is a terrible choice off the tee. i'd much rather see 5iron than 7 wood if you are having problems with topping the ball. you're topping too many balls, imo, so you need to fix whatever causes that-sway or lift or whatever. maybe your pro can help you get rid of that problem tomorrow. good luck. it sound like if you can stop topping the ball, you'd be right where you'd want to be score wise.

 

The 7w has been ok in the past. Ideal no, but I had been able to put it out there about 165 - 175 fairly straight. Granted all bets are off right now. While I don't think the 7w is terrible, I would much rather use a longer club off the tee. Going back to 5i off the tee feels like a step backwards. Of course maybe that's what I need to do. Another option would be to use my 3h off the tee and see what that can do.

 

A punch shot, well I probably shouldn't call it that... To me a punch is a low shot where you have a shortened follow through. I wasn't trying to hit the ball far so I also took a short backswing. Not sure what the correct name for this shot is. If anyone knows, let me know.

 

I agree about the topping. I only had 1 tee shot where I topped it today, too bad I have plenty of other mishits to go along with it. I've definately gotten worse since my last lesson.

[don28]

...I feel like I had some course management issues but there were holes where i couldn't get a good swing if my life depended on it. the most frustrating part of this, is that I've regressed and i'm not getting closer to my goal. It brings legitimate questions about how badly do I want this? Am I deluding myself regarding my practice effort (though I'll blame the weather for now)? Should I just shutup until I do break 50/100, if ever?

The glimmers of hope for me. I did good on my 2 par 3s. The Ronzo driver strategy on the par 5 9th has worked both times I tried it, even though I misplayed the hole each time after that. Parts of my shortgame were good, though most were crap.

 

I do have a playing lesson tommorow morning. I am really excited about this. I can't wait to see what happens, though I fully expect the pro to fix my swing. Something went south in my last lesson and I'm back to losing the ball right. I also expect him to jump on my short game. that'll be good though.

 

Lastly and most importantly, I had fun out there and it was relaxing. Yes, I am disapointed in my score and I was frustrated later in the round. I'm no pro and I golf for leaisure and todays round fit the bill even though I mostly suck.

 

Don't quit, Bort! The above in bold is reason enough to keep grinding away at it. You had fun, and had success on the par 3's and with the tip Ronzo gave you. This game can wear you down, but you've got to fight through it.

 

Remember, last year I was in the same boat as you. I finally broke through the 100 barrier, and now expect to break 100 every time. I have shot 100, 101, 95, 92, 90, and 96 my last six rounds. Things are falling into place, and they will for you too.

 

The playing lesson will probably do you a lot of good as long as you play like you are out on the course by yourself. Do what you normally do, and the pro will be able to advise you properly. Keep your chin up!

[possingk]

Please do not stop updating us, I just broke 100 on my home course for the first time on June 26th, playing everything down with no mulligans, I thought of this thread when it happened as happy as I was I looked forward to reading your post when you do it. You have worked really hard and you have documented everything you have done. Keep at it, you will get there, once you do it gets easier, you just have to get out and practice and play more. Once you do that your swing will be something you trust and just hit the ball. Today I got to a point that I didn't trust my swing after a bad hole, which lead to two more bad holes once I forgot about that bad hole and got back to playing my game, I still finished with a 99.

 

I love your updates, I am pulling for you. One thing to remember is that while a majority of the posters here are mid to low handicaps there are still some of us out there that follow this thread and struggle along with you and see our scores in you. On behalf of all those people thank you. Three lessons in I finally did it, I have found that going out with better golfers really helped me (my playing lesson is next Wed) but they can help you with decisions on how far to hit it.

 

Here are my scores of late http://www.oobgolf.com/golfers/scores.php?id=10963 so you can see how we all struggle.

 

Keep going and you will get there.

[Rohlio]

Bort I love that you are still rolling on this. I always check in on this thread, and hope to see the day it says "I did it!" I know you feel down about your chances right now, but the first time I ever broke par on my home course I shot an 87 the day before. That was a 16 shot swing in one day! It can happen.

 

I can't resist giving advise (it's in my nature I am sorry). You said a few posts ago that you have melted down when you feel like you are getting close to finally doing it, this is natural of course. My suggestion would be to change your goal to breaking 90 (45 in your case). I know that may seem unattainable, but it isn't. You are building a mental barrier around a particular number, you need to tear that wall down in your mind.

 

When I set about rebuilding my entire game 2 years ago, I set a goal of being a 5 hdcp. I was a 16-18 at the time. After a while I was stuck around the 8-9 hdcp. mark. I reset my goal to be scratch (I mean why not try for the stars right). I immediately started trending downward. I am now a 3.8. I am going to revise my goal to being a +1. If I end up at a 2, that is still 3 shots lower than I was even orginally aiming for.

 

So I say Screw 100, go BREAK 90 BORT! I know you can do it. and if you ever end up in Oregon, you have a place to play.

[bortass]

Thanks for the support. It helps keep things in perspective.

 

The playing lesson was a no go. They still are not letting carts on the course. We used the time for a normal lesson however.

 

First off my swing plane got out of whack. We worked with the broken shaft in the ground drill a bit. He removed that and had me use an inside approach. Once again I drove the club into the ground at first. We kept at it and the good shots returned.

 

He had me also hit my 3,5, and 7ws with the inside approach. They weren't all perfect but a definate improvement. He gave me the greenlight to use woods on the range(the range at this course is irons only) and expects me to start practicing with them. Most of the mishits would have been in the fairway or just in the rough.

 

He also tweaked my grip again. I normally have my right index finger away from the rest of my fingers on the shaft. What he noticed is I'm not using it to grip the shaft at all and things are moving around in my backswing. This is a real weird feeling when I try to make sure to grip the club. I hope it'll become more natural as I work on it.

 

His goal for me isn't to break 100, it's 95 btw. He doesn't see why I can't do it if I swing like I was during the lesson.

 

Morale is high currently and I'm looking forward to spending more time on the range working on things.

[Johwak121]

I too struggled for a while to break 100 however you have to really take notice when ur on the course as to what you need to work on. For example last time i went out my irons were solid and so were my drives i even had a few GIR (2) and i always ended with a FING! bogey well a 3-putt every green didnt help so now im at the practice green DAILY! yes everyday! even the days im not playing a round im still up at the practice green chipping/putting and maybe hitting a few balls because if i can even take ONE put away each green thats around 9 to 18 strokes a ROUND depending on how many holes u play

 

Another thing that has really helped my swing/scores was watching the Golf Channel, i know funny way to improve your swing and scored but im the type of person who learn's through example so while watching hours of golf channel and PGA swing coaches like Micahel Breed it has REALLY REALLY helped. Last tip i picked up was about swing lag and WOW it has helped me compress the ball 10x and i can really get good solid swings and distance out of my clubs

 

just my .02

[possingk]

His goal for me isn't to break 100, it's 95 btw. He doesn't see why I can't do it if I swing like I was during the lesson.

 

Morale is high currently and I'm looking forward to spending more time on the range working on things.

 

Take that compliment from your pro to the course with you and over every shot instead of thinking about all the things he taught you, inside out, don't top the ball etc, just remember a person who teaches golf for a living and knows it well believes that your swing is good enough to break 95. Don't think of anything else, just trust the swing you have worked on for so long and you will be suprised how quickly you shoot below 50.

 

I get the same thing from not only my pro but from the other members I go out with. They are shocked at the numbers I throw up, usually it is one or two holes that kill me. When I get up there and trust my swing and just hit the ball I do really well. My problems come into play when I try to think about the shot, or start thinking 'You sliced/faded the last shot so for this one aim further left than normal and play the slice/fade' everytime I do that I hit it dead straight. When I forget about the last shot and just hit my straight/draw it ends up a lot better.

[q-school]

i'm begging for video. i'm so desperate i am on the verge of sending bort my camera just so he can get video to us

[q-school]

aside from grip what specifically does your pro have you working on from now to next lesson?

[bortass]

aside from grip what specifically does your pro have you working on from now to next lesson?

 

 

I'm to make sure my swing stays on plane. I'm supposed to grab his inside approach when I'm on the range. I am also supposed to practice with my woods.

 

This lesson was mostly righting the ship and getting back to good fundamentals.

 

Next lesson is hopefully the playing lesson next Monday. This isn't my normal pattern. I usually like to have a few weeks between lessons to try and work on what we last covered.

[bortass]

i'm begging for video. i'm so desperate i am on the verge of sending bort my camera just so he can get video to us

 

 

I can ask around. What's the key feature I'm looking for? My son has one of those Flip video cameras. I don't think it's high FPS and definately not super high quality. I should drop one of the videos he's done with it onto a computer just to see what it looks like.

 

You'd be looking for video from the front ie the direction I'm facing when I address the ball(90* from the target line) and another of down the target line. Do I need to actually hit a ball? Just trying to see if I need to go to the range or not, if his camera will take usable footage. I do have foam balls I can use as a target. Of course, if I use a real ball at the range I have ball flight feedback, which may not show on video but would help me explain things.

[q-school]

respectfully i'm not sure he's being specific enough if stay on plane is all the message you received. even with the inside approach that is tough to monitor. i was hoping he might give you some specific drills to help you stay on plane. why does he think you are topping the ball so much, other than just being off plane? what causes you to get off plane?

flip video would be fine. need face on and down the line shots.

[bortass]

respectfully i'm not sure he's being specific enough if stay on plane is all the message you received. even with the inside approach that is tough to monitor. i was hoping he might give you some specific drills to help you stay on plane. why does he think you are topping the ball so much, other than just being off plane? what causes you to get off plane?

flip video would be fine. need face on and down the line shots.

 

I have a drill. Fairly simple one. Bring the club back and pause near the end of my backswing to check on the plane of the shaft vs my target line. My plane was the cause of my recent issues but it didn't take long in the lesson to get back on track. The big drill he gave me back in late April early May was to use a shaft in the ground. My takeaway needed to be outside the shaft and my dowswing inside the shaft. It was great feedback having the shaft there since if you hit the shaft you know right away what you did wrong.

 

I get off plane because that's the swing I have grooved over the years. I take the club back inside and then go OTT. I wrap the clubhead behind me. So it's the old swing that i've been using for however long I've been playing.

 

We haven't gotten into alot of detail on topping the ball. I can get steep in my downswing. I think my swing plane has alot to do with it but I'm not 100% sure.

[DBL_E]

Bortass, based on the description in the OP, I do not feel you should be on a course. Practice off course, until you have basic skills.

 

So that was a year ago. Not sure about the carnage in between, but saw you carded a 79 in 5/2009.

 

I do not understand your approach. My guess is that you have higher expectations than are warranted by your skills. I'd say work on skills and stay off the course until 59 was the absolute highest you would score. A triple on every hole is 53.

[q-school]

there is a good chance you are okay on the range but not on the course. why don't you ask him the next time you see him why you are topping and what to do to fix it?

i am glad you have a drill to work on before your next visit. i think that you should consider taking a practice swing on the course before your actual swing. maybe do the drill before you actually swing?

[bortass]

Bortass, based on the description in the OP, I do not feel you should be on a course. Practice off course, until you have basic skills.

 

So that was a year ago. Not sure about the carnage in between, but saw you carded a 79 in 5/2009.

 

I do not understand your approach. My guess is that you have higher expectations than are warranted by your skills. I'd say work on skills and stay off the course until 59 was the absolute highest you would score. A triple on every hole is 53.

You mean the awesome 72? I know that's pathetic...

 

I don't have higher expectations then skills. I have a goal to shot under 50 for 9, which I did once last year with a 46. That's my target, I don't expect to go out there and do it. I'm just trying to do it.

 

I'll still be playing as I can. I play when the course is not crowded and make sure that I'm not holding anyone up. Trust me, I do not like slowplay either.

 

I would never have taken up golf if I had to sit on a range for who knows how long before hitting a course to play. I always thought golf was a boring game. Why would anyone watch something so dull on TV? Then I ended up on a course as part of a team outing at work and I got hooked. I never expected to like golf.

 

Hopefully this make a little sense.

[bortass]

there is a good chance you are okay on the range but not on the course. why don't you ask him the next time you see him why you are topping and what to do to fix it?

i am glad you have a drill to work on before your next visit. i think that you should consider taking a practice swing on the course before your actual swing. maybe do the drill before you actually swing?

 

I'll do that regarding the tops.

 

The practice swing is a bit harder. I only say that because it's not part of my routine and changing routine isn't always easy.

 

I need to work on so much stuff. I need to ask some questions on the forum to get some guidance on a few things.

[possingk]

"The practice swing is a bit harder. I only say that because it's not part of my routine and changing routine isn't always easy."

 

I was just like you I never used a practice swing, finally while on the range and going through a bucket of balls lightening fast, I decided that I had all the time in the world that day no where to be nothing to do but practice. So I did a test, I took ten balls and hit them with no practice swing, just look at target and hit them, I was 40% in the 'fairway' target I had set up. I then took another 10 balls and took a practice swing (or two) and hit the ball, I hit 60% in the 'fairway' target I picked out. It truly didn't take me much longer. I know two more at the target isn't a huge improvement, but I look at it this way if those two balls would have been OB instead of in the fairway I saved 4 strokes.

 

It is hard to get in the routine on the course, but try it at the range for a while, start creating a new routine on the range and take it to the course. There is a lot to remember while you are going through lessons, but a practice swing before each shot helps you engrain the new swing. Let's say you shoot a 58 with 21 putts (I think that is the last stat I saw) that means on the course instead of using the new swing 37 times, you will use it 74 times it should help engrain the swing quicker.

 

Do you do a practice stroke before putting or chipping?

[DBL_E]

I play when the course is not crowded and make sure that I'm not holding anyone up. Trust me, I do not like slowplay either.

....

Hopefully this make a little sense.

 

I'm glad you're using an open course. As far as recommending people practice extensively before going on a real course, I think it has merit. Scores of 50+ means the golfer is overwhelmed by the challenges versus the skill set. Another choice is to practice at executive courses.

[Ronzo]

I'm glad you're using an open course. As far as recommending people practice extensively before going on a real course, I think it has merit. Scores of 50+ means the golfer is overwhelmed by the challenges versus the skill set. Another choice is to practice at executive courses.

DBL_E, I don't know you, but if you received information like that when you were struggling, would you consider what you posted to be encouraging?

 

This man has entrusted us with his story and his game. There are quite a few of us on this site who struggle with it, in addition to those who are apparently very gifted at playing this wonderful game. If you are so gifted, maybe more encouraging words could be found to express your thoughts. :)

[bortass]

"The practice swing is a bit harder. I only say that because it's not part of my routine and changing routine isn't always easy."

 

I was just like you I never used a practice swing, finally while on the range and going through a bucket of balls lightening fast, I decided that I had all the time in the world that day no where to be nothing to do but practice. So I did a test, I took ten balls and hit them with no practice swing, just look at target and hit them, I was 40% in the 'fairway' target I had set up. I then took another 10 balls and took a practice swing (or two) and hit the ball, I hit 60% in the 'fairway' target I picked out. It truly didn't take me much longer. I know two more at the target isn't a huge improvement, but I look at it this way if those two balls would have been OB instead of in the fairway I saved 4 strokes.

 

It is hard to get in the routine on the course, but try it at the range for a while, start creating a new routine on the range and take it to the course. There is a lot to remember while you are going through lessons, but a practice swing before each shot helps you engrain the new swing. Let's say you shoot a 58 with 21 putts (I think that is the last stat I saw) that means on the course instead of using the new swing 37 times, you will use it 74 times it should help engrain the swing quicker.

 

Do you do a practice stroke before putting or chipping?

 

Actually going from 40 - 60% is huge. That's a 50% improvement. I take 0 practice swings, chipping, putting, it doesn't matter.

 

Everyone that had mentioned practice swings is 100% correct. I need to stop being lazy/stubborn and do them. The range is the perfect place to start to ingrain that as well. I know it will prevent some of my mishits.

[bortass]

I play when the course is not crowded and make sure that I'm not holding anyone up. Trust me, I do not like slowplay either.

....

Hopefully this make a little sense.

 

I'm glad you're using an open course. As far as recommending people practice extensively before going on a real course, I think it has merit. Scores of 50+ means the golfer is overwhelmed by the challenges versus the skill set. Another choice is to practice at executive courses.

 

 

I understand what you are saying. Trust me on that. There are no executive courses up here, at least none I've ever heard of.

 

My challenges are manyfold.

 

I crack under pressure, real or imagined, on the course. No range will help me with that.

 

I do not have a good swing grooved, though I am making progress on that. Range time will help with this.

 

Short game needs alot of work. range/practice green will help with this.

 

I make bad decisions on the course. I'm getting better at this and I can't use the range for this.

 

Crappy lies(ties into decision making), I can't easily replicate some of the stuff I find on the course. A ball sitting down in long wet grass in a low spot. My only was to gain experience with some of this stuff is on the course. Same with uneven lies etc.

 

I don't have access to state of the art practice facilities. I don't even know if there are any in this state.

 

So yes my skills and the challenges cause my scores, but there is improvement going on. Even though it's slow, I see it and it shows up in individual holes.

[bortass]

Hit the range last night and worked on stuff from my lesson, including hitting woods. Overall it was pretty good. I was happy with the results.

 

Played my normal weekly round this morning as well.

 

1 par 4 - I tried 3w off the tee. I was a bit nervous, a coworker I normally don't play with was there and I wanted hit the ball well. I had it teed a bit too low and dubbed it 30 yards. I'm in long wet grass, the ball is below my feet, there's a twosome in carts standing on the tee behind us(turns out they were waiting for 2 other guys). I take my PW and try to get into the fairway on this dogleg left. No dice. Again, same scenario as previous shot. End result is I got in the fairway after 4 strokes. I'm feeling real crappy about this time.

 

I leave my approach shot a bit short on the right. I have a long chip and blade it off the far side of the green. I then chip on and 2 putt for an awesome 9.

 

2 par 3 - I hit a line drive with my pw about 112 into the side of the raised green and my ball rolls through the long grass but is just short of the green. I leave my chip short but 2 putt for bogey. Well a semi decent par 3. i've been a touch better on these my last 2 rounds.

 

3 par 5 - 7w off the tee 172 right in the middle of the fairway. Perfect shot. My 7w tee shot has been mentioned before *cough* q-school *cough*. Another 5 yards and my ball is through the fairway on a downslope. 7w is a good club for me off the tee on this hole until I feel brave enough to try and carry everything at the end of this fairway. Second shot was another perfect 7w 180 yards in the middle of the lower fairway. I'm sitting at about 97 yards out in 2! I launch my PW approach shot over the green. I then chip through the green. I finally chip on. My first putt misses but I'm within 2 feet of the cup. This should be a fairlty easy putt for dbl bogey and I barely miss and settle for a 3 putt 8.

 

4 par 3 - I get this tee shot airborne am in the fringe just right of the green. I chip on and make my par putt.

 

5 par 4 - 7w again. This is a dogleg right and I've driven through the FW with a 5w before. My 7w lets me swing away but remain safe from bunkers or going into the tree long. I hit a low shot about 120 yards and am just short of the fairway. if it hadn't rained all last month, I'd have gotten a bit more out of it. It was a bad shot, so i can't really say much. I try to wedge it out of the wet grass but it just scoots forward about 20 yards into the fairway. I hit my approach shot right of the green under some trees. I have no shot at the flag. I chip sideways but am unable to keep the ball on the narrow strip of green i had to work with. i chip on and 2 putt for 7.

 

6 par 3 with 2 ponds in play - I hit my tee shot high but too far right. It lands short of a greenside bunker and kicks backwards into a pond. The 4 guys with carts have caught back up with us. I take my drop and blade it through the green. i'm in long grass with an uphill lie and duff my chip a few feet. I completely decelerated and no followthrough. I have no clue what I was thinking. I finally chip on and 2 putt for a 7. So much for doing ok on par 3s.

 

7 short par 4 - I pull driver, 180 in the middle of the fairway, very little roll with all the rain. I'm at a weird yardage and decide to hit a low 7i with a short backswing and follow through. It's kinda like a power chip. I pull it off and am on the green. i have about 10 feet for birdie. I'm the last to putt so i have plenty of time to look at my line. I set up and let her go, the balls rolling at the hole, bounces off the back of the cup and stops about 6 inches right behind the hole. I had the line right but just a bit too fast. So I settle for par.

 

8 par 4 - driver 186 right down the middle again. I'm 157 out and hit 5i. I slice it onto the teebox for the 9th hole. I now have to carry a pond to get on the green. I hit it too hard and yell fore as my ball sails over the green and heads for 2 guys in a cart waiting to tee off on 7. I find my ball in the cattails off one of the ponds guarding the 6th green. I take my drop and chip it into a bunker. My bunker shot flies over the pin and off the green. I get the next chip close to the flag and 1 putt for an 8. I had another good drive but did not capitalize at all....

 

9 par 4 - driver is sliced about 167. I'm in the wet rough and hack my ball out with a wedge, just like I wanted. I have a 6i approach shot which I slice into the rough off the green. My pitch is thin and goes over the green into the rough by the 18th green. I chip on from there and 2 putt for 7.

 

A 57 in the end. 17 putts, not bad. 14 chips, terrible! I did ok on 2/3 of the par 3s. I hit solid tee shots and got in the fairway on half the driving holes. On the other 3, only the first hole was pure junk. The driver on 9 and low shot on 5 still put the ball in playable locations with at least some distance off the tee.

 

My tee shots(non par 3) were 3w 0/1, 7w 1/2, driver 2/3. I was happy with the driver results

 

Now it's obvious that I need to focus on shortgame. I should of only had 8 chips, there's 6 strokes lost. I had 3 pitches, with chips afterwards, there's another 3 shots lost. If I could pitch and chip I may have pulled out a 48. this is very telling. My approach shots are gonna miss the green alot but I don't have the skill to get on in one after that happens. I hope I can use this as a wake up call and start paying more attention to the shorter shots.

 

I still need to work my full swing, since I'm trying to get that sorted out but I really must spend more time on shots inside 100 yards. There are no excuses. It's all on me to try and focus on the right areas. The pro wants me to practice short game 2/3 of the time as well but I haven't been. :russian_roulette: All I can say is, stupid.

[q-school]

hey! i didn't say use 3 wood instead of 7w, i said use 5i! :) use what you are confident in.

are you sure you are teeing the ball the right height? if you use 7 wood you probably barely tee it at all, basically like an iron. are you teeing driver and 3 wood high enough?

what club(s) are you chipping with? are you flying it all the way there or rolling it most of the way?

[bortass]

hey! i didn't say use 3 wood instead of 7w, i said use 5i! :) use what you are confident in.

are you sure you are teeing the ball the right height? if you use 7 wood you probably barely tee it at all, basically like an iron. are you teeing driver and 3 wood high enough?

what club(s) are you chipping with? are you flying it all the way there or rolling it most of the way?

 

 

I know. I was teasing ya. But also wanted to point out that the 7w was for course management purposes. The 3w was to use a longer club to get into the fairway.

 

I teed it too low with the 3w. My 7w is teed up a little, so probably half the ball is above the clubface. I also started teeing my irons higher on par 3s. I was teeing the ball almost flush with the ground. Now they are up a bit higher. I think that's why I've been getting them in the air a bit more in the last 2 rounds. I'm sure this is just a crutch for a swing issue but whatever works for now.

 

Driver, I'm teeing about half the ball above the driver head. I know the distance wasn't great today but I blame the weather.

 

There's a practice green by the clubhouse it sits on a terrace in a small rise, so 2 sides of it are higher then the surrounding ground. It last rained on Saturday but there was a puddle in a low spot on this green. We had over 11 inches of rain in June and our normal average is something like 3 - 4 inches.

 

I use just my 56* wedge for chips and pitches. It tends to fly more then roll on chips. Though it rolls crazy good when I skull it across the green.

 

I'm trying to learn Utley's short game method but I'm not being too successful. It's all me though, not the method. i'm not devoting the right amount of practice time to it.

[q-school]

you are teeing half the ball above the 7 wood and still making good contact? holy crap.

where are you putting the ball in your stance with the tee'd up 7w?

 

forget about utley for now imo. just learn the chip-putt. make absolutely sure you have the shaft upright like it was a putter. only the toe should be touching the ground. use the toe bounce to shield against the fat shot.

you should be using pw or even 9 or better yet 8 for this rather than sand wedge. if you are as good a putter as you say, you just need this to get on the green, not even close and you will break 50. if you stop topping the ball, you will break 45.

 

good luck

[bortass]

you are teeing half the ball above the 7 wood and still making good contact? holy crap.

where are you putting the ball in your stance with the tee'd up 7w?

 

forget about utley for now imo. just learn the chip-putt. make absolutely sure you have the shaft upright like it was a putter. only the toe should be touching the ground. use the toe bounce to shield against the fat shot.

you should be using pw or even 9 or better yet 8 for this rather than sand wedge. if you are as good a putter as you say, you just need this to get on the green, not even close and you will break 50. if you stop topping the ball, you will break 45.

 

good luck

 

I think that's about right but it's not something that I actually check, like I do with driver. I will see what I do next time I tee it up, though it does kind of sound high to me. If I tee it too low like I did with my 3w, I'll top the ball. Like my irons on par 3s this is probably to deal with a swing flaw. I do not hit down on the ball that much. This may be a reason I top it as well. I don't know why but I have a hard time getting a divot, unless I hit it fat.

 

I understand what your saying about the chipping. Basically use as simple a chipping motion as possible, even though it may not be ideal, to get it on the green in 1. This is like teeing off with a 5i( or 7w) to just keep the ball in play. Same concept, different area of the game.

 

Regarding the putting, I'd say I'm ok. The greens I play on are small, slower, and don't have alot of weird breaks in them. I'd say if you're on the green your within 10 yards of the flag 95% of the time.

[q-school]

bort will you try something? i apologize if i am taking too many liberties.

go to range.

just focus on hitting the ground 3" on the target side of the ball. make sure the club hits the ground though and not just brushes the top of the grass. don't swing at the ball just swing at the ground. eventually you just want the ball to get in the way of the club as it makes its swing but for right now just make sure you hit the ground 3" on the target side of the ball. put a penny down or another tee down 3" in front of the ball to give your eyes something to focus on.

that's it. report your results.