Journey to Break 90

[pappaf2]

Awesome work Bort, you are making strides for sure. Your story definatly helps a hacker like me see that improvments can be made with some effort and instruction.

[bortass]

[quote name='pappaf2' timestamp='1313602601' post='3496130']
Awesome work Bort, you are making strides for sure. Your story definatly helps a hacker like me see that improvments can be made with some effort and instruction.
[/quote]

Definately. Too bad it doesn't come all at once.

I played 9 tonight with a coworker. It was a bit different then Monday. The sun was out and things were drier.

I hit a mix of driver and 4w off the tee. I only hit two playable tee shots, both were mishit drivers. A playable tee shot needs to be in position to go for the green or another reasonable location even if I'm too far out. So it is a bit subjective. Both holes with the playable drives i was 190 - 200 yards out and hit 4w for my approach, so I missed short and right respectively.

My irons except on par 3s were good again. I hit some nice high shots. My shot of the day was on 9. My 7w missed the green right. I'm in the rough below the green, a blind shot, I can see the flag but not the hole. and need to carry a bunker. I take my 60* LW and open it just a little and hit a flop 4 feet from the flag.

I didn't have alot of chips today. I did mess some up but I'm not worried about it. I haven't had a chance to practice the new technique yet.

End result was a 47. Not great but considering I was never in position to go for a legitimate GIR the entire round, I'm ok with it.

[bortass]

Not alot of golf lately. Work has been busy and Irene put a damper on things this last weekend. We got off easy, so I'm not complaining.

I played 9 today. It's been 10 days since I last played. I'm scratching my head a bit. I think I had 16 full shots in the round and I topped 8 of them. Some real bad like a 4w that goes 8 yards off the tee. I left ball imprints in front of the tee on a few holes. The rest of my shots were pitches, chips, punches, and putts. I was thin on a number of others as well.

My putting and chipping was better. I had 15 putts with no 3 putts. I chipped with the PW alot and it was better. I got a few close. The greens were aerated recently and there was a few times the ball would be rolling and suddenly pop in the air an inch or so as it hit one of the holes.

I ended up with a 48. I was 35 through 7, but #8 was costly. I topped my tee shot and my approach.I have a long chip to a green above me. A good 20 yards, and it rolls through the green. So I'm on the fringe and use my putter. The balls hops a few times from the holes. It stops a few feet out and my putt to 'save' a dbl bogey 6, is deflected by a little mound around the hole, aka the lumpy donut.

On 9, I topped my tee shot but managed to pull out a bogey 6.

I'm disapointed but ok with things. A 48 with 8 topped shots isn't terrible. Also my back and knees are bugging me from volleyball last night. Not sure what the ball striking issue is but I've been struggling lately.

[bortass]

My post I had a few hours ago seems to have been lost. Here's the cliff notes version.

I've played a 9 and 18 hole round since last Wednesday, which is the 48 in my previous post. The 9 hole round was a fiasco with a 57...

My 18 hole round was a 101. I went 53/48. I played alot better on the back. That 48 includes two S&D penalties. My ballstriking is off. My irons are fat or thin, until my approach on 18 when i hit a SW and it flew like i expected. The ball is coming out lower then normal. Off the tee, I used driver alot. It went left on most holes. No more instaslice, though I managed one on 317 and it went OB. My provisional was a decent draw into the FW though.

I had a lesson this morning and what we saw if that I hold my lag too long. I never straighten my right wrist until well after impact. I swing to first base, in to out, and keep my hands going to first base after impact. So they don't come back to the left until very late in my followthrough. I think this is because I ingrained holding onto my right wrist angles to overcome my flip last year. It's not something I even think about anymore.

So we worked on straightening my right wrist and arm through impact. We did this mostly via pitch shots. I started to hit the ball first again. I only had a couple fat shots and 2 thin shots, I was trying some stuff out with ball position etc and that led to a few of the rare mishits. The majority of them were real good. A little divot in front of the ball and the sound of the club striking the ball.

I started to mess around a bit with different kinds of pitches while working on my wrist. Moving the ball up to get it higher. Rotating faster for more distance. Moving it back to get a lower shot etc. All the while making sure I straightened my right wrist.

You need to release those angles and I never did. I was holding on to them. My plan is to really work on the pitch shot to get the motion down.

Overall my footwork is better now and my chipping is slowly getting better. I'm using my PW to chip alot. I don't get it real close but I'm not duffing it. I even holed out on 15 with a chip after putting my tee shot in the pond, saving a 4. The other thing is my chips have been 10+ yards because i'm missing the green by so much now. I expect things to tighten up once I regain my ball striking.

Cheers.

[sshadow2]

[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1315327385' post='3545637']
My post I had a few hours ago seems to have been lost. Here's the cliff notes version.

I've played a 9 and 18 hole round since last Wednesday, which is the 48 in my previous post. The 9 hole round was a fiasco with a 57...

My 18 hole round was a 101. I went 53/48. I played alot better on the back. That 48 includes two S&D penalties. My ballstriking is off. My irons are fat or thin, until my approach on 18 when i hit a SW and it flew like i expected. The ball is coming out lower then normal. Off the tee, I used driver alot. It went left on most holes. No more instaslice, though I managed one on 317 and it went OB. My provisional was a decent draw into the FW though.

I had a lesson this morning and what we saw if that I hold my lag too long. I never straighten my right wrist until well after impact. I swing to first base, in to out, and keep my hands going to first base after impact. So they don't come back to the left until very late in my followthrough. I think this is because I ingrained holding onto my right wrist angles to overcome my flip last year. It's not something I even think about anymore.

So we worked on straightening my right wrist and arm through impact. We did this mostly via pitch shots. I started to hit the ball first again. I only had a couple fat shots and 2 thin shots, I was trying some stuff out with ball position etc and that led to a few of the rare mishits. The majority of them were real good. A little divot in front of the ball and the sound of the club striking the ball.

I started to mess around a bit with different kinds of pitches while working on my wrist. Moving the ball up to get it higher. Rotating faster for more distance. Moving it back to get a lower shot etc. All the while making sure I straightened my right wrist.

You need to release those angles and I never did. I was holding on to them. My plan is to really work on the pitch shot to get the motion down.

Overall my footwork is better now and my chipping is slowly getting better. I'm using my PW to chip alot. I don't get it real close but I'm not duffing it. I even holed out on 15 with a chip after putting my tee shot in the pond, saving a 4. The other thing is my chips have been 10+ yards because i'm missing the green by so much now. I expect things to tighten up once I regain my ball striking.

Cheers.
[/quote]


Nice.

I used to do what you are trying to do now. What I got though ultimately was a flip in my swing thru my whole bag. My shots were higher and shorter than when I keep my angle in my right (rear hand) wrist. The pitch came out great but that was it. And my ball was very susceptible to the wind. Based on this, I'd recommend that you be careful not to overdo it. Also, if you set up with the shaft leaning forward at address, and attempt to straighten your wrist at impact, you are going to be dealing with fat shots often. This new move can require a good amount of timing to get down. You'll probably find it to be true especially with the long/mid irons.

[bortass]

[quote name='sshadow2' timestamp='1315331160' post='3545785']
[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1315327385' post='3545637']
My post I had a few hours ago seems to have been lost. Here's the cliff notes version.

I've played a 9 and 18 hole round since last Wednesday, which is the 48 in my previous post. The 9 hole round was a fiasco with a 57...

My 18 hole round was a 101. I went 53/48. I played alot better on the back. That 48 includes two S&D penalties. My ballstriking is off. My irons are fat or thin, until my approach on 18 when i hit a SW and it flew like i expected. The ball is coming out lower then normal. Off the tee, I used driver alot. It went left on most holes. No more instaslice, though I managed one on 317 and it went OB. My provisional was a decent draw into the FW though.

I had a lesson this morning and what we saw if that I hold my lag too long. I never straighten my right wrist until well after impact. I swing to first base, in to out, and keep my hands going to first base after impact. So they don't come back to the left until very late in my followthrough. I think this is because I ingrained holding onto my right wrist angles to overcome my flip last year. It's not something I even think about anymore.

So we worked on straightening my right wrist and arm through impact. We did this mostly via pitch shots. I started to hit the ball first again. I only had a couple fat shots and 2 thin shots, I was trying some stuff out with ball position etc and that led to a few of the rare mishits. The majority of them were real good. A little divot in front of the ball and the sound of the club striking the ball.

I started to mess around a bit with different kinds of pitches while working on my wrist. Moving the ball up to get it higher. Rotating faster for more distance. Moving it back to get a lower shot etc. All the while making sure I straightened my right wrist.

You need to release those angles and I never did. I was holding on to them. My plan is to really work on the pitch shot to get the motion down.

Overall my footwork is better now and my chipping is slowly getting better. I'm using my PW to chip alot. I don't get it real close but I'm not duffing it. I even holed out on 15 with a chip after putting my tee shot in the pond, saving a 4. The other thing is my chips have been 10+ yards because i'm missing the green by so much now. I expect things to tighten up once I regain my ball striking.

Cheers.
[/quote]


Nice.

I used to do what you are trying to do now. What I got though ultimately was a flip in my swing thru my whole bag. My shots were higher and shorter than when I keep my angle in my right (rear hand) wrist. The pitch came out great but that was it. And my ball was very susceptible to the wind. Based on this, I'd recommend that you be careful not to overdo it. Also, if you set up with the shaft leaning forward at address, and attempt to straighten your wrist at impact, you are going to be dealing with fat shots often. This new move can require a good amount of timing to get down. You'll probably find it to be true especially with the long/mid irons.
[/quote]

I'll keep an eye on it. It's an evolving process. For now my low point is better. Granted it's mostly pitches but I did mix in a few fullswings when I hit another bucket later yesterday. The ball came out much better. My 8i would hit the green and roll out a few feet about a month ago. Monday, my 8i hit the green and rolled out 10 yards because it was so low. I prefer a high ball flight when I'm trying to hit a green.Getting the ball in the air works better on my home course overall. There are some holes where a low ball flight is better but there are a number of hills and a number of the greens are raised from the surrounding fairway.

[ChipDriver]

[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1315410895' post='3548207']
[quote name='sshadow2' timestamp='1315331160' post='3545785']
[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1315327385' post='3545637']
My post I had a few hours ago seems to have been lost. Here's the cliff notes version.

I've played a 9 and 18 hole round since last Wednesday, which is the 48 in my previous post. The 9 hole round was a fiasco with a 57...

My 18 hole round was a 101. I went 53/48. I played alot better on the back. That 48 includes two S&D penalties. My ballstriking is off. My irons are fat or thin, until my approach on 18 when i hit a SW and it flew like i expected. The ball is coming out lower then normal. Off the tee, I used driver alot. It went left on most holes. No more instaslice, though I managed one on 317 and it went OB. My provisional was a decent draw into the FW though.

I had a lesson this morning and what we saw if that I hold my lag too long. I never straighten my right wrist until well after impact. I swing to first base, in to out, and keep my hands going to first base after impact. So they don't come back to the left until very late in my followthrough. I think this is because I ingrained holding onto my right wrist angles to overcome my flip last year. It's not something I even think about anymore.

So we worked on straightening my right wrist and arm through impact. We did this mostly via pitch shots. I started to hit the ball first again. I only had a couple fat shots and 2 thin shots, I was trying some stuff out with ball position etc and that led to a few of the rare mishits. The majority of them were real good. A little divot in front of the ball and the sound of the club striking the ball.

I started to mess around a bit with different kinds of pitches while working on my wrist. Moving the ball up to get it higher. Rotating faster for more distance. Moving it back to get a lower shot etc. All the while making sure I straightened my right wrist.

You need to release those angles and I never did. I was holding on to them. My plan is to really work on the pitch shot to get the motion down.

Overall my footwork is better now and my chipping is slowly getting better. I'm using my PW to chip alot. I don't get it real close but I'm not duffing it. I even holed out on 15 with a chip after putting my tee shot in the pond, saving a 4. The other thing is my chips have been 10+ yards because i'm missing the green by so much now. I expect things to tighten up once I regain my ball striking.

Cheers.
[/quote]


Nice.

I used to do what you are trying to do now. What I got though ultimately was a flip in my swing thru my whole bag. My shots were higher and shorter than when I keep my angle in my right (rear hand) wrist. The pitch came out great but that was it. And my ball was very susceptible to the wind. Based on this, I'd recommend that you be careful not to overdo it. Also, if you set up with the shaft leaning forward at address, and attempt to straighten your wrist at impact, you are going to be dealing with fat shots often. This new move can require a good amount of timing to get down. You'll probably find it to be true especially with the long/mid irons.
[/quote]

I'll keep an eye on it. It's an evolving process. For now my low point is better. Granted it's mostly pitches but I did mix in a few fullswings when I hit another bucket later yesterday. The ball came out much better. My 8i would hit the green and roll out a few feet about a month ago. Monday, my 8i hit the green and rolled out 10 yards because it was so low. I prefer a high ball flight when I'm trying to hit a green.Getting the ball in the air works better on my home course overall. There are some holes where a low ball flight is better but there are a number of hills and a number of the greens are raised from the surrounding fairway.
[/quote]

Suggest again to move up a set of tees - break 90 that way. It will trick your brain - and you can move back and break 90 again sooner. :-) That's really all it is is a mind-tease. Although I am enjoying your posts - it is exciting to see someone go out and reach their goals. :-)

Recently (this whole season actually) I fell back into a bad habit and was way too shallow with my driver- and my driver which was once solid 9-10 fairways a round, was going haywire and unpredictable - 2-3 fairways a round, and short. I had to aim down the middle of the fairway b/c I didn't know if the ball will go wide right, or wide left....but it did! Almost every driver was landing in the rough. As a result - breaking 90 was almost impossible - and I did it twice this year. On a whim I realized what I was doing wrong - and my "normal" driver swing returned. Played 9 on sunday and shot a 37.

Keep up the good work Bortass.

[bortass]

I went out to play 9 a few days ago in the rain. Rain doesn't bother me.

I hit driver on 1 and it's a pull hook into the left rough. I take my 7i and hit another pull hook and stay in the rough. My driver on 2 was low and left. I hit my 7w for my approach and was super fat. So now I'm in 6i range. I swing and make contact. The ball takes off 45* or more left and curves into the trees. I pretty much hit it behind me, never seen that before.

On 3 my driver goes right, no biggie I've hit that tee shot before and it's not the end of the world. I watch as it sails into a pine tree and bounces further right and back away from the hole into the 2nd fairway. I hit my 7i to layup. Again it's low and left and I see a crescent shaped divot in front of me. On 4, par 3, I hit my 7i and it's a high fade that hits a pine tree and falls in the stream. So I hit another one and it's a bit thin but barely carries the stream.

I can't recall #5 but I get to #6, par 3, and I have a 8i in my hand. I hit a low pull hook that hits a tree and I never find it. I would have missed the center of the green by 50 yards left if there were no trees... So I walk off the course. I was too frustrated to play.

I talk to the pro a bit in the clubhouse. We both know it's a clubface issue. It's not aligning with my swing path. He suggests I hit the range immediately and mess around with my club face. What the heck, I'm already wet and it's just a light rain. I grab my 8i and I hit a low pull hook. So I open the face and point it 30 degrees right and I hit a push draw. Hmmmm.

One thing I had done when working on pitch shots was to turn my right hand to the right, so my right thumb was on the side of the shaft. I tried it with my 8i and started to hit push draws. I head into the shop and tell the pro what I did. I mention how I weakened my right hand and he says, 'No, you made it stronger'. This puzzled me because why would strengthening my right hand make me go from a pull hook to a push draw? We talk a bit more about it ans he tells me to weaken my grip with both hands and to hit some balls.

So I do and I hit some more push draws. They were a bit higher and longer then earlier.

I report my findings and he suggests I stay with the weaker grip. I'll play better in the long run that way. The strengthening of my right hand would probably cause some issues on the course.

The weather was nice today so I played 9.

I hit driver on all non par 3 holes. It's a draw down the middle on 1 and 2. On 3 I hit a draw to the left side of the fairway. 5 is a high fade into the fairway. 7 is a draw into the fairway. 8 I top it into the fairway 136 yards. On 9, I cut the corner by hitting a cut over the trees. I hit every fairway today, even the top made it to the fairway. My distance wasn't always awesome thanks to the wind. My other clubs were a bit of a mixed bag but the weaker grip seemed to help.

I shot a 47 with 18 putts. My putting was off. I had 3 3 putts and missed some short putts on the low side. I also put a ball in the stream on a par 4 and it led to a 7. This was the best I've hit a ball in awhile and I felt good about my game. I had 1 par, 5 bogies, 2 doubles, and a triple.

[bortass]

I played an 18 hole tourney yesterday. I had a rough front and a better back. I'm slowly starting to hit the ball better again. My biggest problem is I'd get in trouble and not be able to recover.

Tonight was the final night of the mens league. I scored 3 points more then my quota. I also hit a 245 yard drive on #1. It was a shotgun start and that was the last hole. It left me 56 yards to the front and it was a forward pin. So I chunked my pitch. I parred both par 3s and bogied some of the par 4s. Things are slowly coming around. I still struggled when i got in trouble on a few holes.

The weaker grip seems to be slowly making it's impact.

[bortass]

Well I did as Chipdriver suggested and I'm sure other have said the same. I got out to play 9 a few days ago and I played the golds. I played the back 9 since the front looked like I'd be waiting. The back is longer. Whites are 3333 on the card and gold is 2877. It was in the mid 60s and windy.

I will add in the difference in length based on the card. So what I say below is not the actual distance variation.

10 - Par 5, about 70 yards shorter. I hit driver and it's a fade, 191 yards, into the rough behind a stand of trees. Shocking. I try to punch a 6i into the FW and fail, so I'm still in the rough. I try again and I get into the fairway but no rela distance on it. I'm now 195 out in 3, because of the mishits. I take my 4w and hit a high fade that misses the green maybe 10 yards right and near the front. I have a chip from the rough to a back pin. I don't swing hard enough and leave it in the fringe. So I chip again with the PW and leave myself a 6 ft putt which I sink to save a 7.

11 - long par 4 from the whites. I always consider this as a par 5 in my head. The card says i'm 70 yards closer. I hit my 4w into the wind and it's a high fade that goes 169. The wind killed it. I'm in the fairway and 200 yards out. I hit my 4w and it's a low draw that gets me about 20 yards off the green or so. I chip with my PW and it's about a 35 yard shot I think total. The ball lands and rolls within an inch of the cup, coming to rest 1 foot behind it. I sink an easy putt for par. This hole played alot different from the next set of tees.

12- par 4, and about 50 yards shorter. I hit my 4w and it's a high draw that goes 188. I'm 129 out and I hit my 8i. It's a nice draw that lands short of the green and rolls on, just past the flag. I have a 10 foot birdie putt. I get the ball rolling and it's tracking at the hole. The ball barely touchs the low side of the cup but doesn't drop. I have a 6 inch par putt. I either needed just a little more speed or to aim just a touch higher. Another easy par.

13 - par 3, the card says it's 40 yards shortewr but I know it's not. It was playing 135 to center and the card says 118. The whites were only 10 yards back. The pin is left, tucked behind a bunker. I go with my 7i because of the wind. I hit a pull hook. The ball strikes a tree on the left and kicks backwards away from the green and I see it roll into the edge of the woods. I think the ball was too far forward. I hit a provisional that is a high draw into the bunker. I do find my ball and i have to move some dead branches. I don't like my line to the flag. There's tree branches in my way, I have to carry the bunker, and there are some weeds that will get between the club and ball. I decide to bail to the far right of the green. it's clear of any obstacles and I can get the club on the ball. I punch my LW up and on the green I swung pretty hard to make sure I got out, so it's longer then I would like. I now have a 62 foot putt. I didn't want to leave it short and I take a large stroke. I watch the ball roll well past the hole. I'm now 15 past the hole and my ball is on a severe downslope. I barely touch it and it misses low and rolls 9 feet past. I screwed myself with that first putt. I do sink the 9 footer to save a dbl bogey.

14 - another long par 4 that i consider a par 5, this one is 50 yards shorter. I go with 4w and it's a high draw that the wind knocks down, 166 yards into the fairway. I'm 204 out with a good lie and hit my 4w. It's a fade that ends up short and right of the green. I have a tricky chip because of the slopes involved. I need to chip to the right of the flag onto the fringe and let the slope carry it left down to the hole. My chip isn't far enough right, so I'm on the green with a 15 foot putt. I give it too much gas and miss high and go 3 feet past. I sink the bogey putt.

15 - par 3 with the pond. This one is about 30 yards shorter. I have 130 and hit my 8i. It's a real low thin shot. It skips twice and makes it on the bank of the far side. Damn lucky. I have a long chip from the rough. I don't get clean contact and the ball stops in the fringe. I had too much grass between the ball and clubface and didn't add enough power to the shot. I chip again to 5 feet and sink the putt. A 4 and I'm happy because this hole had disaster written on it as I watched my tee shot hit the water and skip.

16 - par 4 and 30 yards shorter. I decide to hit my driver. It's a dogleg right and I'm thinking if I move the ball forward, I should hit a draw. I move it forward a bit and I hit the ball with the hosel area, sending it low and left into the trees. I hit a provisional with my normal setup and it's a nice fade, in play. I find my 1st ball, unfortunately. I don't have a shot. I'm maybe 30 yards off the tee in the edge of the tree line. I move some dead branches but there's a small sapling in the mix. I hack it out and it goes 6 feet maybe. I'm in the rough and my next shot goes further right then I wanted and I'm in the right rough. So my provisional is over here as well but it's in a good spot with a line at the flag and sitting up nicely. My ball is more right and I have no shot at the green. I get the ball in the FW about 109 out. I hit my PW and it's a high draw that lands short of the green. I decide to chip with my PW and it rolls 12 feet past the hole. I should have used my SW here because it wasn't a long chip. I end up two putting for an 8. This was a real rough hole.

17 - par 4, the card says 55 yards shorter but that's wrong. The golds are maybe 20 yards in front of the whites. I hit a high draw about 165 into the wind. I'm 150 out, in the FW, and go with my 6i. I hit it well and I miss the green dead right. It was a nice little draw and my aim was off. I have another touchy chip and I hit it too hard. the ball rolls 43 feet past the hole. I'm screwed. This green slopes front to back. The pin is top right. My ball is top left. I have a real long putt that will break high to low and is likely going to roll a ways with the slope. I miss my putt and the ball rolls past the hole. I think 8 - 9 feet. I have another sideslope putt on my hands.... I miss that but leave myself a foot away and 3 putt for a 6. This is no surprise. I've seen this happen alot. if you miss the way I did, it's a 3 - 4 putt.

18 - par 5, that is 60 yards shorter, I'd say it was closer to 30. I hit my driver. I'm aiming left, so if it fades i'm fine. it's a real low draw, 198, and over the hill. I'm 220 out in the FW. The ball is on a downslope and a bit above my feet, maybe a few inches. I decide to go for it with my 4w. Stupid... I hit it low and left into the rough, maybe a total of 60 yards. I decide to try my 7w from the rough. The ball goes well right and short. So I'm in the right rough about 80 yards or so out. I decide to punch my PW because of the wind. I make solid contact but it's a touch right. it hits a small branch, which slows it down alittle but not too bad. However, the ball lands short of a bunker, rolls in and it reaches the top of the slope and it just can't make it over the lip, and it trickles down.A few more feet of speed, and I'd be chipping. I get out of the bunker and into the fringe. I use my PW and chip to 1 foot. So I save my 7.

I shot a 50 but I blame that on some experimentation and getting a little too aggressive on #18. Moving up a set of tees changed things. I felt like I could play the course more approriately. The longer par 4s wherew I struggle became more manageable. The other par 4s, gave me a shorter iron in, maybe 2 clubs. I will keep doing this.

My driver is prtetty consistant with the fade. I think I just need to work out how to aim and expect the fade. I'm too used to a draw, so I don't aim left enough. The ball is only moving right maybe 15 yards with the curve. it's not like I sending it out with the big bannana curve.

My PW chipping is getting better. I put two balls inside 1 foot with it. I need to get the speed better from the rough and start using my SW again when I'm closer.

So overall I'm pleased with things. I'm back to hitting the ball decent. My short tee shots were wind related, not mishits. I like how moving up made things easier ie less pressure. Good stuff.

[ChipDriver]

[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1316364625' post='3571886']
Well I did as Chipdriver suggested and I'm sure other have said the same. I got out to play 9 a few days ago and I played the golds. I played the back 9 since the front looked like I'd be waiting. The back is longer. Whites are 3333 on the card and gold is 2877. It was in the mid 60s and windy.

I will add in the difference in length based on the card. So what I say below is not the actual distance variation.

10 - Par 5, about 70 yards shorter. I hit driver and it's a fade, 191 yards, into the rough behind a stand of trees. Shocking. I try to punch a 6i into the FW and fail, so I'm still in the rough. I try again and I get into the fairway but no rela distance on it. I'm now 195 out in 3, because of the mishits. I take my 4w and hit a high fade that misses the green maybe 10 yards right and near the front. I have a chip from the rough to a back pin. I don't swing hard enough and leave it in the fringe. So I chip again with the PW and leave myself a 6 ft putt which I sink to save a 7.

11 - long par 4 from the whites. I always consider this as a par 5 in my head. The card says i'm 70 yards closer. I hit my 4w into the wind and it's a high fade that goes 169. The wind killed it. I'm in the fairway and 200 yards out. I hit my 4w and it's a low draw that gets me about 20 yards off the green or so. I chip with my PW and it's about a 35 yard shot I think total. The ball lands and rolls within an inch of the cup, coming to rest 1 foot behind it. I sink an easy putt for par. This hole played alot different from the next set of tees.

12- par 4, and about 50 yards shorter. I hit my 4w and it's a high draw that goes 188. I'm 129 out and I hit my 8i. It's a nice draw that lands short of the green and rolls on, just past the flag. I have a 10 foot birdie putt. I get the ball rolling and it's tracking at the hole. The ball barely touchs the low side of the cup but doesn't drop. I have a 6 inch par putt. I either needed just a little more speed or to aim just a touch higher. Another easy par.

13 - par 3, the card says it's 40 yards shortewr but I know it's not. It was playing 135 to center and the card says 118. The whites were only 10 yards back. The pin is left, tucked behind a bunker. I go with my 7i because of the wind. I hit a pull hook. The ball strikes a tree on the left and kicks backwards away from the green and I see it roll into the edge of the woods. I think the ball was too far forward. I hit a provisional that is a high draw into the bunker. I do find my ball and i have to move some dead branches. I don't like my line to the flag. There's tree branches in my way, I have to carry the bunker, and there are some weeds that will get between the club and ball. I decide to bail to the far right of the green. it's clear of any obstacles and I can get the club on the ball. I punch my LW up and on the green I swung pretty hard to make sure I got out, so it's longer then I would like. I now have a 62 foot putt. I didn't want to leave it short and I take a large stroke. I watch the ball roll well past the hole. I'm now 15 past the hole and my ball is on a severe downslope. I barely touch it and it misses low and rolls 9 feet past. I screwed myself with that first putt. I do sink the 9 footer to save a dbl bogey.

14 - another long par 4 that i consider a par 5, this one is 50 yards shorter. I go with 4w and it's a high draw that the wind knocks down, 166 yards into the fairway. I'm 204 out with a good lie and hit my 4w. It's a fade that ends up short and right of the green. I have a tricky chip because of the slopes involved. I need to chip to the right of the flag onto the fringe and let the slope carry it left down to the hole. My chip isn't far enough right, so I'm on the green with a 15 foot putt. I give it too much gas and miss high and go 3 feet past. I sink the bogey putt.

15 - par 3 with the pond. This one is about 30 yards shorter. I have 130 and hit my 8i. It's a real low thin shot. It skips twice and makes it on the bank of the far side. Damn lucky. I have a long chip from the rough. I don't get clean contact and the ball stops in the fringe. I had too much grass between the ball and clubface and didn't add enough power to the shot. I chip again to 5 feet and sink the putt. A 4 and I'm happy because this hole had disaster written on it as I watched my tee shot hit the water and skip.

16 - par 4 and 30 yards shorter. I decide to hit my driver. It's a dogleg right and I'm thinking if I move the ball forward, I should hit a draw. I move it forward a bit and I hit the ball with the hosel area, sending it low and left into the trees. I hit a provisional with my normal setup and it's a nice fade, in play. I find my 1st ball, unfortunately. I don't have a shot. I'm maybe 30 yards off the tee in the edge of the tree line. I move some dead branches but there's a small sapling in the mix. I hack it out and it goes 6 feet maybe. I'm in the rough and my next shot goes further right then I wanted and I'm in the right rough. So my provisional is over here as well but it's in a good spot with a line at the flag and sitting up nicely. My ball is more right and I have no shot at the green. I get the ball in the FW about 109 out. I hit my PW and it's a high draw that lands short of the green. I decide to chip with my PW and it rolls 12 feet past the hole. I should have used my SW here because it wasn't a long chip. I end up two putting for an 8. This was a real rough hole.

17 - par 4, the card says 55 yards shorter but that's wrong. The golds are maybe 20 yards in front of the whites. I hit a high draw about 165 into the wind. I'm 150 out, in the FW, and go with my 6i. I hit it well and I miss the green dead right. It was a nice little draw and my aim was off. I have another touchy chip and I hit it too hard. the ball rolls 43 feet past the hole. I'm screwed. This green slopes front to back. The pin is top right. My ball is top left. I have a real long putt that will break high to low and is likely going to roll a ways with the slope. I miss my putt and the ball rolls past the hole. I think 8 - 9 feet. I have another sideslope putt on my hands.... I miss that but leave myself a foot away and 3 putt for a 6. This is no surprise. I've seen this happen alot. if you miss the way I did, it's a 3 - 4 putt.

18 - par 5, that is 60 yards shorter, I'd say it was closer to 30. I hit my driver. I'm aiming left, so if it fades i'm fine. it's a real low draw, 198, and over the hill. I'm 220 out in the FW. The ball is on a downslope and a bit above my feet, maybe a few inches. I decide to go for it with my 4w. Stupid... I hit it low and left into the rough, maybe a total of 60 yards. I decide to try my 7w from the rough. The ball goes well right and short. So I'm in the right rough about 80 yards or so out. I decide to punch my PW because of the wind. I make solid contact but it's a touch right. it hits a small branch, which slows it down alittle but not too bad. However, the ball lands short of a bunker, rolls in and it reaches the top of the slope and it just can't make it over the lip, and it trickles down.A few more feet of speed, and I'd be chipping. I get out of the bunker and into the fringe. I use my PW and chip to 1 foot. So I save my 7.

I shot a 50 but I blame that on some experimentation and getting a little too aggressive on #18. Moving up a set of tees changed things. I felt like I could play the course more approriately. The longer par 4s wherew I struggle became more manageable. The other par 4s, gave me a shorter iron in, maybe 2 clubs. I will keep doing this.

My driver is prtetty consistant with the fade. I think I just need to work out how to aim and expect the fade. I'm too used to a draw, so I don't aim left enough. The ball is only moving right maybe 15 yards with the curve. it's not like I sending it out with the big bannana curve.

My PW chipping is getting better. I put two balls inside 1 foot with it. I need to get the speed better from the rough and start using my SW again when I'm closer.

So overall I'm pleased with things. I'm back to hitting the ball decent. My short tee shots were wind related, not mishits. I like how moving up made things easier ie less pressure. Good stuff.
[/quote]

Nice. Play it a few more times and the new distances won't be so shocking - you may even save a few holes where you're not hitting driver, but instead you're hitting a hybrid or an iron. Your approaches from the fairway should sometimes give you wedge or scoring iron, instead of long iron or hybrid...etc. etc. I bet you break 90 from there within 3 tries.

[bortass]

Slow going at the moment. Work has picked up and i just don't have the time to hit the course or range now. I'm averaging less the 9 holes a week lately.

I played in a modified scramble today and made a slight change. Our A player was using a tee with his driver that I'd use with my 4w or irons. I push it it pretty good for those clubs though. For the hell of it I started to tee the ball a bit lower with my driver. I started to hit some low to mid height draws. I lost height but the ball didn't leak right and I was more accurate. I'll keep with it and see what happens.

My irons are all over the map though. I'm showing rust from not playing. It's hard to play with the sun setting at 6:30 now. I hope to get out and try the forward tees some more to see.

[bortass]

I got in 18 yesterday morning. I played the golds again and started the round on the back.

The shorter distance makes things alot more realistic. There are 3 long par 4s that play like a par 5 from the whites for me. I can play them like a long par 4 instead from the golds.

I also have a bit more variation in the entire round. For example from the whites, I use driver on every hole except the par 3s. My approaches are usually a 5 or 6 iron on most holes except the long par 4s, where I'm whacking a 4w from 210+ yards out and praying. The golds, I use driver on most holes but there are a few where that is a bad play, so I used my 4w. I've used 4w off the tee alot in the past, but this was for strategic reasons, not cuz of my swing. I need to add a few more holes to the non-driver list too I think because of the miss right. My approaches ranged from 4w or 7w on the two of the long par 4s down to a LW. I probably hit more 7 and 8 irons overall. So it's a 2 club gain I'd say.

My score was a 95. So the shorter distance may have helped my scoring a bit but not by huge margins. Not yet at least. The side effect is that my HCP will drift up a bit because the slope is lower and I'm not going real low. The flip side is I haven't been playing or hitting the range alot. I was playing 9 holes at least 3 times a week. Now I'm lucky to play 9 a week. So that 95 is even though i'm not swinging the club nearly as much the last month.

I also added some new toys. I now have a set of persimmon MacGregors from the early 60s. 1 through 4 woods. Why you may ask? To work on my swing. I can't tell if I hit the sweet spot or not with my driver. I mean sometimes it's obvious I missed it. The persimmons let me know right away. I've only hit then on the range in two sessions and am just starting to understand the ball flight differences when you hit the sweet spot or not. The theory is I'll get better feedback from the persimmons and my swing will start to adjust as i learn to hit them. If i can hit one of them decent with at least some regularity then things should really improve with the modern clubs. It's kinda like using a tour striker.

My results to date? Amusing. I hit 20 balls with the driver aka 1W and maybe 1 or two was on the sweetspot. Today I hit the 4w with probably 20 - 30 balls and I'd say I hit the sweetspot maybe 3 times. It's fun. I should go find a blade iron to work on those with. Lol.

[bortass]

I spend more time on the range this morning. I started with my PW and worked on a few things. Shifting my hips left a bit at address and tilting my spine behind the ball. I picked this up from a recent video from Monte that I saw posted here. I also worked on not holding my right wrist angle past impact. It took a bit for my tempo to smooth out but once it did I hit the ball well. I then hit a few 8i shots as well. Then I went to the persimmon 4w.

I used some masking tape and found that I was mostly hitting the ball near the center of the club but real low on the face. That caused the ball to go fairly straight and very low. I also hit some off the toe and most of those were higher and leaked right. So I started to not hold my right wrist angle through impact. I don't know the best term for this, so my verbiage may be wrong. The club doesn't get down as much when I don't let the right wrist start to straighten near impact. The ball started to get in the air better and I even hit a few that were nice draws with good height. So I'm starting to know if I hit the sweet spot or not.

Some of my better shots went about 170ish. I don't think that's too bad with a 4w from the 60s on a wet range and some wind. The pro watched me and commented how my setup is already starting to change because the older clubs are flatter then they are today. He likes how I'm adjusting with this club.

The other interesting thing is I've started to hit true hooks at times with the 4w. I hit pull hooks with my irons and woods, ball starts left and curves left. The persimmon actually starts right and goes left. he's never seen me hit a true hook before. So it's a new miss for me.

I dunno when I'll try these clubs on the course but he thinks I should. Interesting stuff.

[bortass]

It's been an interesting two days. It's been raining up here off and on this week and the course is saturated. I played 9 holes in the rain the last two days.

Yesterday I played the golds on the back. Not pretty. I hit an ok drive off 10 about 170 something in the fairway. I then top 4w 100 yards; 4w off toe; 6i from rough goes 40 yards; PW thin over the green. End result is an 8. 11 I slice driver off the tee adn save a bogey. On 12, I top my driver; hit a weak layup; hit my 6i short and end up with a 7. I bogey 13 after toping my 7i off the tee.

14 is a long par 4 and has OB right and hazard left. So I say screw it and punch a 5i off the tee. It's an ok shot into the fairway. I'm still 230 out and decide to layup with another 5i punch. I top it and have 180 ish to go. So much for playing it safe. I whack my 4w right of the green, chip on and 2 putt for a 6.

15 is a par 3 with a pond. The golds let me hit an iron instead of a wood. I mishit it though and land short of the green. I take my sw and chip in for birdie. Lol.

I've been hitting two balls off and all all round because of the mishits, trying to figure things out. On 15 I had hit a second tee shot and crushed the can with my left foot and it was a much better shot. The rest of the round was ugly. I end up with a 53.

The rain may have affected a few shots, namely woods off the deck and a 6i from the rough. Overall I don't think the rain was hurting me at all. The biggest impact is the course being so wet there was no roll.

I talk to the pro after the round and the rain's settled down. We go out and video a few swings and head in to look at them. I'm still not getting enough extension and the swing is real shallow. We went out and he had me work on trying to steppen my swing a touch but not swinging out to the right as much. I'm too inside out instead of inside, square, inside. He put a box outside the ball and I had to hit the ball w/o hitting the box. It took a bit but I started to get my divot forward and the ball flight was alot better.

Last night I spent some time watching some of the videos Monte S. has created. I fall into the group that hold on to the lag. The big thing I picked up from him was to relax to let cetrifugal force square the club.

Today I played the whites on the front and also shot a 53, lol. However my driver and irons were alot better over all. My issues were mishit 7Ws and chipping. The amount of water made it hard to judger my chips. Sometimes the water would leave me short and other times it was like the water wasn't there and I'd go long. I also blew up on 9.

I'll keep working on getting my swing more in a circle and try to keep working on letting my rotation square up the club. It seemed to help today. Not perfect but alot better.

[bortass]

Alot of golf this last week. Monday was our 27 hole Ryder Cup event with some guys from work. I had some good shots here and there but I did win my 9 hole match.The change I made is I used the 4w off the tee, so even errant tee shots stayed in play except for one that I had to come out sideways with. I also adjusted my game based on my opponent. He had a rough stretch of holes, so I changed my shot based on what he did. For example I was 170ish out on a par 4 with a downslope lie. I had the same shot on this hole earlier in the scramble portion and really mishit my 7w. My opponent hit a bad tee shot and had to play first. I was standing at my ball with my 5i and 7i because I knew I was laying up no matter what. Once he chunked his second shot, I threw the 5i aside and went with the 7i layup. I played safe golf and somehow survived my bad holes.

Friday, I played 9 and while my irons were decent, I couldn't get off the tee. It wasanother round playing the golds and it was ugly with a 51. Later that day I went to the range and worked on things with my PW, a 6i blade, and my persimmon 4w. The majority of the work was with the PW and blade. I was hitting the ball pretty good even the blade was pretty decent.

Saturday I played 18 from the whites. I was 7/7 for fairways hit with my driver on the front. My irons were solid too but I had two mishits that cost me dearly and I carded a 49 on the front. I get to 10 and shank my driver. I never hit a fairway again until 18, even my 4w was topped. My irons went south on me as well and i card a 105.

Earlier today I thought about playing 18 but it turned into 9 because my swing was off. I shanked and lost my tee shot on 1. I also notice that I'm losing paint on the outside of the hosel on my driver, awesomeness. I ditched the driver after 3 holes and used the 4w and it was better over all. My irons were off though most of the time though. I hit some good shots but more bad ones. The funny thing is my putting was alot better. I think I had 13 or 14 putts and sank a number in the 5 - 6 foot range.

I have been frustrated on the course lately and it isn't because of the score, it's the swing. The mishits are really getting to me. I know I can do better because I did it 2 months ago, but now, forget it. I also don't get how my swing and driver could be so good on the front 9 and then go in the tank on #10. I really am at a loss, or at least I feel that way. I've pretty much been in a funk the last 2 months.

I have been thinking and moving up to the golds doesn't seem to be helping me any. I may have shorter irons into the greens but my scores are the same. This should tell me something but I'm not sure what. The big difference is I use the 4w off the tee instead of the driver, with a few exceptions. I've tried to play smarter but maybe I'm not. I'm loath to start teeing off with a 5i and trying to hit every par 4 in 3, but maybe that's what I need to do. Of course if I use that strategy from the gold, i may as well play the whites. I don't think I really changed my game plan any when I moved up a set of tees and therein may lie the issue.

Right now I feel like this year is a mixed bag. I did shoot my personal best score, 90, and played decent in the mens league and member-member. On the other hand, my overall scores are about the same. My index hit a personal low of 26.1 but it's going to be over 27 with the next revision and I feel like I'm ending this year at the same spot as last year.

I think I've made two 'mistakes' that have held me back the last two years.

First, ever since I became a member my range time had dropped alot. I used to be a range rat but now I go play 9 instead. Gotta get in the rounds to cover the cost of membership. I'm paying for that. I'm not working on things to improve like I did when I was first trying to break 100. My scores improved greatly during that time frame. I'm more consistent now with out the wild swings into the 110+ range, though. I've not focused the time on ingraining the lessons. The one good thing is things have been sticking, so we're rarely covering the same issue a second time. I'm just doing the lesson work on the course.

Second, is my short game blows. Sometimes I can get a chip close or even chip in but it feels more like luck. My average putt after a chip is outside 6 feet I do believe. I do have 20 yard chips alot but even close to the green it's bad unless I putt from the fringe. I miss alot of greens and my short game can't cover it. I need to learn some shortgame shots. My strategy is to always chip or bump and run unless I have to pitch the ball. I think that's ok, it's not like I'm trying to hit a flop at every turn. So I gotta work on the chips. I have started to mess with ball position to change how the chip runs out and that's working. I just need to start using some more feel instead of always chipping with the ball back.

I also don't have a partial wedge game anymore. I haven't worked on that much, so I have no feel for my yardages. If I have a 50 yard shot, i don't know what to hit. My half LW goes about 60ish because it comes out lower and runs a bit, while a full LW is a 80 yard shot for me, it's high and doesn't move much once it lands.

I guess what really bugs me is I know deep down that I've been aware of these issue for a long time and have talked about them before yet I've done very little to change things. Dunno what's so hard about it. I know what I need to do at a high level, I just have no plan about how to do it. I happen to suck at planning overall, so it's not a shocker. I'm not one of those guys that knows what he wants to do in 5 years and sets alot of goals to get there.

Well I hope I didn't whine too much. I'm struggling and just wanted to write it down.

Cheers,

[pappaf2]

Sorry about the recent troubles bort. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you don't really have alot of time to just work on the swing at the range. How much are you going to the range to work on the stuff you've talked about with the pro?

I feel your pain on the partial wedge shots. I've been having trouble with those as well.

[Desert Golf]

As long as you have good instruction and you keep practicing, you will improve and you will break 90.
Moving up a tee box should improve your scores, especially if you are able to tee off with a 4 wood.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Tigertyme1987]

Take a look at this article for some help on hitting [url="http://www.golflessonblog.com/?cat=22"]better short game shots.[/url] Partial wedge shots are very difficul, but the most important thing to do is make sure you accelerate through the ball. When you take a long backswing and try to slow the clubhead down through impact is when you run into problems.

[bortass]

I would say I get in a range session or two right after a lesson to work on things. A few years ago I probably hit the range at least 3 times a week. Now I'm more sporadic. I may go 3 times 1 week and then not hit balls for another week or two. I did go this morning and worked mostly with my GW. Things started to click near the end. I was doing 3/4 swings and started to get solid contact and a divot that was to the left a bit. This was something the pro wanted me to start looking for. My swing is pretty in to out, so my divots go right and sometimes straight. He wants then to go left a touch.

The shots where my divot was left were crisp. High draws that went pretty straight. I tend to hit pushes often because of the swing path, so it was a good change. The thing I noticed is I started to get my right shoulder down through impact instead of turning more level. This is something that's been pointed out before but never really worked on. Someone left some balls on the range, so I hit a few of those after my bucket was gone since i was on a roll with the GW. I didn't want to leave without hitting as many balls as I could while things were clicking.

I also had a few 6i blade and the persimmon 4w shots in there but they were nothing special.

My shortgame issues are mostly around chipping. It's my go to shortgame shot. I don't hit many pitches and the flop is once in a blue moon. I tend to hit the ball well past the hole on most of them, the contact is solid. The other issue is when I have a shorter chip I will duff it or blade it at times. The duff is deceleration based and the blade will happen if I get too quick. Considering I chip on almost every hole, you'd think I would work on it more. I have expanded my chipping a bit in that I'll use my PW, putter, or SW instead of always using the SW. I think my technique is my contact is good the majority of the time. I lack the feel for distances. At least that's my take on what seems to happen.

[ChipDriver]

[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1318298413' post='3655065']
I would say I get in a range session or two right after a lesson to work on things. A few years ago I probably hit the range at least 3 times a week. Now I'm more sporadic. I may go 3 times 1 week and then not hit balls for another week or two. I did go this morning and worked mostly with my GW. Things started to click near the end. I was doing 3/4 swings and started to get solid contact and a divot that was to the left a bit. This was something the pro wanted me to start looking for. My swing is pretty in to out, so my divots go right and sometimes straight. He wants then to go left a touch.

The shots where my divot was left were crisp. High draws that went pretty straight. I tend to hit pushes often because of the swing path, so it was a good change. The thing I noticed is I started to get my right shoulder down through impact instead of turning more level. This is something that's been pointed out before but never really worked on. Someone left some balls on the range, so I hit a few of those after my bucket was gone since i was on a roll with the GW. I didn't want to leave without hitting as many balls as I could while things were clicking.

I also had a few 6i blade and the persimmon 4w shots in there but they were nothing special.

My shortgame issues are mostly around chipping. It's my go to shortgame shot. I don't hit many pitches and the flop is once in a blue moon. I tend to hit the ball well past the hole on most of them, the contact is solid. The other issue is when I have a shorter chip I will duff it or blade it at times. The duff is deceleration based and the blade will happen if I get too quick. Considering I chip on almost every hole, you'd think I would work on it more. I have expanded my chipping a bit in that I'll use my PW, putter, or SW instead of always using the SW. I think my technique is my contact is good the majority of the time. I lack the feel for distances. At least that's my take on what seems to happen.
[/quote]




IMO you can't practice short game, unless you know what the heck you're trying to accomplish. Without a plan, IMO the best you can learn is how to make consistent contact; and consistent set up positions.

Chipping and pitching is all about distance control - effectively putting it within a 3 foot circle. Learn some reliable chipping information. 1) learn carry/roll ratios for your clubs and 2) learn how to hit distances reliably.

Here's what works for me:

ASSUMING YOU HIT YOUR CHIPS RELIABLY WELL (decent contact) - the following work for me on a fairly low trajectory (I believe in getting it on the ground as fast as possible and let it roll):

1) My SW is about a 1:1 carry/roll ratio. Meaning if I have a 20 yard chip - I can carry it 10 yards and it will roll 10 yards. My PW is about 1:3 carry/roll - meaning I can carry it 10 yards in the air, and it will roll about 30 yards after. I tend to chip with my PW whenever I can, and only use the SW when I have short side myself (not a lot of roll) or need loft to get over a hazard.

My simple method for 50 yards and closer:

Stand with feet together and hold the club like a putter...and you can also have the shaft lean a tiny bit forward - using an EASY pendulum stroke whose backswing and forward swings match - take the clubhead back to the following points to achieve the following carry distances:

1) Clubhead back to ankle high - 5 yards carry.
2) Clubhead back to Knee high - 10 yards carry
3) Hands back to waist high - 20 yards carry
4) Same as #3 but with feet spread about 1 foot apart - 40 yards carry.

The roll distances will match the ratios you discover with your SW or PW.

HOpe this helps.

[bortass]

I have to share that the guy who was my partner in the member-member this year won a national title today. [url="http://www.theforecaster.net/content/s-sportsclosmcc-101411"]Here's an article on it.[/url] Playing with him leading up to the member member taught me some stuff. He's a great guy as well.

As for me, I spend some time on the range with just my GW today. Things are starting to click. I would say 90% of the shots I hit were good. I'm taking a divot in front of the ball and it's a high draw or fade w/o alot of rollout with the full swing. I also have been rereading Utley's Art of Scoring and started to work on his pitching method. I'm slowly starting to understand what he's talking about. It's going to take alot more work but if i can add that type of shot to my game it'll help.

[bortass]

I got in almost 36 holes this week. A couple 9 hole rounds and then 18. The course is extremely wet because of all the rain this month. Entire fairways are casual water...

The pro took a few minutes and showed me the Utley style pitch before the first 9 of the bunch. There were 2 issues I had to overcome. First is my elbows weren't soft enough. My elbows are almost always a bit tense, like most of my arms. The second was my lack of tempo. So we spent maybe 10 minutes on the practice green working on the pitches. I then went out and tried to keep the thought of soft elbows and tempo throughout my entire round.

I shot a record 61. You know it's a good day when you card a 9 on the first hole. Surprisingly the score didn't bother me. My other bad rounds had me getting frustrated and mad. I'm not sure why I maintained a more even keel this time. Perhaps it's because I was working on things on the course. I was messing around with a new putting grip, which didn't help matters any, and I had the soft elbows and tempo in my head. The area that killed me the most was tee shots. Driver was the big ole slice. I tried my 4w and it was a top that went no place. A very ugly round. The good part was that my irons were not too bad. Nowhere near perfect but there were some real nice shots in the rest of the mess. So I finished the round in good spirits even though this is the worst 9 holes I've carded in the last 2 years.

I made a change with the second 9 when I played a few days after. I ditched my Wishon driver and put my MacGregor persimmon driver into the bag. I figured my tee shots killed me, so a 1W from the 60s wasn't likely to hurt me any. I was right. I only hit 1 solid tee shot with it the entire round but the mishits were more playable. I also kept the elbowes and tempo theme going. I shot a 52. Again not great but I felt good. I made some progress and the persimmon 1W performed better then my 460cc driver. Go figure.

I played 18 this morning. There was a 2 hour frost delay and it's supposed to snow tonight. It was 40, maybe, and overcast when I teed off. There also a bit of a breeze/wind at times. The course is still soaked and I had to start on the back because of frost. I decided because it was cold and so wet, that I would play the shorter gold tees. I also kept the 1w in the bag.

10 - par 5 and this is a very wet hole. The entire fairway is casual water for the most part, all 460+ yards of it. You tee off on a hill and there's some wind. I hit a draw with the 1w 158 into the fairway. The ball moved 6 inches from where it landed because it was so soft. I'm 360+ out still and decide on my 4w. I take a practice swing that seemed ok and then mishit the ball, thin, a bit over 100 yards. I then hit a 5i fat to get to 150ish. The next 5i is fat and short of the green. I'm 20 yards short of the front and the flag is back. I dub my chip and I have a 63 foot putt. I lagg it to 2 feet and sink the putt to "save" a dbl bogey 7. I knew this hole was going to be a rough one because there's no relief from the water. Everything is very soft and that made it easy to hit it fat.

11 - par 4, I hit a very low draw with the 1w, 159 in the fairway. Funny how it rolled so much with things being wet. I'm 204 out and go for it with my 4w instead of laying up with a PW. I hit a big slice from the left side iof the fairway into the woods on the right. My chip out, with my 8i, is super fat, hits a tree and bouncesa few feet. I get the next one in the fairway. I'm 30 yards out and chip with my PW. I hit it solid and it rolls through the green. Awesome! I chip with the SW and it stops 4 feet from the hole. I sink the putt for a triple bogey 7. That 4w was stupid and I knew it the moment I hit it. This was a stupid play. I had thought about hitting my GW which is my 100 yard club to give me a full wedge into the green. That probably would have resulted in a 5.

12 - par 4, I hit a nice draw with the 1w 168 into the fairway. The mud killed it on impact. I have 137 or so to center and hit my 7i. I pull it left of the hole and almost into a bunker. The ball is below my feet by 4 inches or so and I have my SW to chip with. I remember my tempo and hit it solidly. The ball pops up and lands in the fringe. It trickles on the green and stops 2 feet from the cup. I sink the par putt. Good times.

13 - par 3, It's about 130 to the hole and I decide to hit my 7i ie my 140 club. It's cold out etc. I hit it thin and it lands short of the green and rolls up, stopping a few inches off the front. I chip with my putter to 2 feet and sink another par putt. I'm almost back on track to break 90 now. Yes, that's how I think in my head on the course. This 3 offsets the 7 on 10 and my 4 on 12 makes it 5.5 on the two par 4s, so I'm 1 stroke off pace.

14 - par 4, I hit my 1w and it'a a real low draw that hits the face of the ridge and goes about 150. I'm in the fairway and layup with my 7i. I hit it very good and that leaves me about a 99 yard shot. No hero or zero 4w off the deck this hole. I take my GW and hit it fat again. Gotta love soft ground. I'm short of the green and chip with my SW. I think about tempo and take it back slow but I come down quick and blade it. The ball stops 6 feet from the hole. I miss the bogey putt and sink the 1 footer for dbl. Not great but this is a tough hole. I'm looking for a 5 and calling that good. So a 6 isn't terrible.

15 - par 3 with the pond. It's about 130, so I hit my 8i. I hit a slight push draw off the toe and it's short. My chip takes a weird hop and never releases. I have a 33 foot putt and I get it to 3 feet and sink the bogey putt. Not great but it offsets the 6 on 14. Yes, I do think like this on the course.

16 - par 4, I hit a nice draw with the 1w 166 into the fairway. I'm 160 from center and hit my 5i a touch heavy. It's a fade that lands short of the green and almost rolls into a bunker. I'm thinking tempo as I get ready to chip with my SW. I take it back nice but again I start down quick and chip it thin and 14 feet past the hole. This is not a simple putt. I'm above the hole and I tap the ball and it doesn't break enough and rolls 3 feet past the hole. I then miss the 3 footer coming back up the hill by 3 inches total. A tap in 6.

17 - par 4, I'm pretty sure I hit it on the screws. It's a great looking baby draw that goes 193 into the fairway. My best shot ever with my persimmon driver. I have 122 to go and my 9i is fat and short. I also mess up my chip again, so I have a 30 foot putt uphill that breaks left to right. I give it an awesome effort and the ball stops 5 feet out. Sweet! I look it over and sink the bogey putt. Not what I wanted but it happens.

18 - par 5, I hit a high fade 177 through the fairway. I'm in the rough and decide on my 5i. Big mistake, I catch alot of grass and hit it heavy. I have 200 yards or so to go. I layup with a nice GW and the pin is back. So I have about 110 in. My PW is well struck but hits a pine tree on the right of the green. I made the mistake of laying up to the right side of the fairway with the GW. It's drier there but with the flag being back, right, that pine tree comes in play. The ball bounces off a branch into the greenside bunker. I get the ball out and in the fringe. I have a very tricky chip. The flag is back right and I'm in the right fringe. I need to chip towards the right fringe near the flag and let it release down the side slope to the flag. It's a slope where you need the ball to lande a few feet short of pin high and almost die, so it can trickle the 8+ feet to the hole. I hit my chip pretty good but it rolls 8 feet past the hole. I'm fine with the chip because it was not easy. I do sink the 8 footer to secure my 7. Not a great hole but it happens.

To be continued...

[bortass]

The first 9, off the back, are done and it didn't end as well as I would have hoped.

1 - par 4, I hit a low slice into the right rough about 164 off the tee. I'm 110 out and my PW is heavy and short. I have at least 20 yards to reach the front of the green. My chip is short though. I chip again to 9 feet and it takes 2 putts to hole out for a 6. Damn.

2 - par 4, I top my 1w for the first time today and it only goes 47 yards. This has been the first bad mishit today with it. I hit my 5i to get to 127 out. I decide to hit 8i which is my 130 club. I hit it thin and I end up a few yards short of the green. I probably should have hit my 7i to take the cold and hill into account. I take my SW and chip to 4 feet. The tempo was good this time. I sink the bogey putt.

3 - par 4, there's a drop off that leads to a stream on this hole. I check my GPS to see what club to hit since I'm playing shorter tees then normal. It's withing the area of the 1w, so I tee off with it. I haven't hit it more then 193, so I'm not worried about going long and down the hill. I hit a low draw, maybe 5 feet ff the ground. It rolls out 162 off the tee and in the fairway. This club makes the ball roll more on low shots it seems, even in these soggy conditions. I have 130 to center and I'm above the green and the flag is back. I hit my 8i and it's thin and stops short of the green. I chip to 9 feet. I have a shot at par. I look things over and hit my putt and miss. I sink the 1 footer that remained for a 5.

4 - par 3, stream carry. The flag is near the back which is 147. The tee is elevated, so i hit my 7i. It's off the toe and is a high draw that lands short. I chip with my SW to 7 feet and trickle the par putt in. This is more like it.

5 - par 4, I hit a big push off the tee that goes 149. It was a high shot, so the ball stopped within a foot of where it landed. Gotta love soft, soggy ground! I have 150 to go and hit my 5i. It's heavy again and the ball is 70 yards short. I hit a pitch with my SW that lands on the green. I'm 24 feet below the hole though. I lag it to 3 feet and get a bogey, 5. A 5 on this hole isn't bad. The golds make this longer par 4, play like a par 4. From the whites, I'd consider a 5 as par. So I'm real happy with how things are going on the front.

6 - par 3, It's about 120 to center. The hole is near the front and closer to 113 or so. I hit my 9i, which is my 120 club. I pull it and it misses left and long. My chip is hit well but doesn't release as much as i wanted. I have a 9 foot par putt and I miss it, ending up hole high inside 6 inches on the low side. I get a bogey and I'm feeling good.

7 - par 4, I top the 1w again but it goes 119 yards in the fairway. I look at my yardage and decide to layup with my 7i. I hit a real nice draw with it over the hill and into the fairway. A great layup. I'm 120 out and hit my 9i a little thin but it lands on the green and releases towards the hole. I'm 9 feet out and the par putt is a foot short. Argh! I get my bogey though. Not bad after a messed up tee shot.

8 - par 4, I hit a great draw with the 1w. It goes 174 and lands in the fairway. I have 108 or so to center. I decide on my PW. I hit a high draw that lands short of the green and rolls on. I have about 9 feet to go. I hit the putt and it trickles to the lip and falls in for a birdie! My first birdie on this hole. Awesome!

9 - par 5, dogleg right. I top my 1w about 77 yards. I don't make the corner and hit my 7i. I hit it well and it strikes a branch and kickes up and forward a little. Damn, I hit that shot solid. I have to layup and my 7i is the club. I hit a nice high draw that leaves me 80 yards. The ground is soft and I hit my LW. I'm a bit fat and the ball is short of the green. I chip to 9 feet and miss the putt but I sink the 1 footer for dbl bogey 7.

It's a 49/43 92. My best round since I shot that 90 in early August. I really like the persimon 1W. My mishits with it are better then the mishits with a modern driver. It's shorter on well struck shots but the bad shots stay in play and seem to go further then the mishits of my 460cc driver. My short game isn't as bad as I thought. it has issues but I got up and down for par a few times today and the birdie on #8 was very sweet.

This is probably the last round in posting season because of the snow storm. I have a few weeks to play and not post scores. I happy with how things have gone recently. I was feeling real bad about my game but being able to shoot a 92 off soaked fairways in 40 degree weather with a driver form the 60's does alot to boost my confidence.

[bortass]

Posting season is over, so no more GHIN entries till next April. The course opened today for the first time since the snow that fell on 10/29. I got out for a quick 9. It was under 45 degrees. There was a constant wind. The weatherman just said they were 'strong'. No clue what they were but my hat almost blew off a few times. The course is still pretty wet as well. I'm wearing a windbreaker, with a chamois shirt under it, and cold weather golf gloves.

I played the gold tees again. This is what I call the Chipdriver strategy since he suggested it. I also used my persimmon driver again today.

1 - par 4, I'm with the wind and hit my tee shot a bit thin. It's a very low draw that goes 162 and stays in the middle of the fairway. I have about 97 to go to target and hit my GW. I'm a bit thin but it's a high draw that I hear land on the green. It's in the shadow of a large pine tree, so I can't tell if it held or not. Sure enough, I'm almost pin high and 12 feet left of the hole. I look it over and my birdie putt stops 2 feet short. Bah! I sink my par putt though and move on.

2 - par 4, into the wind. I hit another low draw with the persimmon driver. It's in the left side of the fairway, 155 off the tee. The green is elevated and the flag is towards the right. I have 158 to go and a stiff wind in my face. I decide on the 4i. I hit it thin and it is real low. It lands short of the green on the left side, rolls up, and on. I'm happy with the fact I went with the 4i. I mishit it but with the wind and hill, my 5i even if well struck would have been short. I have a 26 foot birdie putt but I'm above the hole. This is a dicey putt. If I miss it will roll out well past the hole. I hit the putt and I aimed too low and the ball trickles 9 feet past the hole, just as I feared. I hit my next putt firm and it dies 3 inches from the cup. A nice bid for par but I have to settle for a bogey. The 3 putt isn't a surprise based on where I was in relation to the hole. It's not good putting, but it isn't terrible. A 3 putt is a legit possibility, so I move to #3 still feeling good.

3 - par 4, I hit another low draw with the wind. I know i'm in the fairway but leaves are reflecting the sun like a ball, so it takes a bit to find my ball on the right side of the fairway. 194 yards off the tee and I almost drove it through the fairway and down the hill. I got a fair amount of roll on a wet cource with that tee shot. The flag is near the back of the green. My gps says 110. I', above the green and the wind is behind me. I go with my SW, the 90y club. Again, I'm a little thin. It's a draw that goes over the back left of the green and stops on the cart path. I take relief and chip with my SW. The green is elevated by 3 - 4 feet. The ball strikes the rise and kicks to the left into the rough by the fringe. I was chipping at an angle to the face of the rise which is why it went left like that. I consider the chip itself a good swing though. I chip again with the SW and get it 3 feet from the hole and sink the bogey putt.

I'm feeling good as I walk up the hill to the 4th tee. The persimmon driver is working well and my iron shots have been decent.

4 - par 3, into the wind. The flag is back and the GPS says the back of the green in 144. I hit my 6i since I'm into the wind. It's a high draw that misses left and the ball lands on the cart path I take relief and have another ship to an elevated green. Only #9 is level with the fairway on the front. Everything else is elevated from the surrounding ground. I take a practice swing and try to remember my tempo. I hit a nice chip that lands in the fringe and rolls on the green. I'm 3 feet from the flag and sink the par putt.

I'm feeling great as I walk to #5. I'm 2 over through 4 and past the two holes where I could hit a ball into the stream.

5 - par 4, I hit a high draw and get a click at impact., I hit it on the insert this time. It's into the wind and there's no trees to soften the continuos gust. The ball travelled 171 into the fairway again. I take relief from casual water and I'm 127 from the front and the flag is forward. I took my hat off as I walked to my ball because I thought the wind was going to blow it off my head. The flag is blowing towards me a bit left. Not alot but it's not straight into my face, but very close to that. I decide to hit my 7i. I have the wind, a slightly elevated green and the ground is soft. I take a practice swing and the divot is in front. So I address the ball and hit it a bit fat. The ball lands well short of the green. I chip with my PW and get the ball 9 feet from the hole. Not bad since I was a good 20 yards out and the green is 5 feet above the ball. I look at the putt and my instict says it breaks right to left. I keep looking and since the low point of the green is to my right I decide it breaks left to right. I hit the putt and miss left and it ends up a foot out. I sink the easy bogey putt and go back to try the first putt again. Sure enough my instict was correct. Damn.

6 - par 3, about 107 to the front. This hole plays 90* to the wind. The wind is right to left and the flag is on the right front. I hit my PW and it's a high draw down the right side. I watch the wind blow my ball left. It lands on the green 8 feet short of the flag and maybe a foot right of it. I played the wind perfectly IMO. My ball also only moved 1 inch from it's pitch mark, so that should provide an idea that it came in pretty steep. So I'm loving this tee shot. I look over my birdie putt, #3 today. it will break left to right. I line up and hit the ball and miss low ending up a foot away, low and long. A few more inches of break and that ball drops. I have an easy par though.

7 - par 4, with the wind. I hit a low draw down the right side and close to the trees. The draw curves it away from them though and it's 198 yards in ther fairway. I have 175 to go and a decent lie. I figure I'm too close to layup and hit my 4i. I'm a few inches heavy and the ball lands 55 yards short. I wasn't holding out high hopes of hitting this green from 175 but.... I pitch with my LW and end up in the fringe behind the green. I was a bit too far right. I decide to chip using my putter and the ball goes 9 feet past the hole. Crap. I end up teo putting for my first double of the day. I go back to try that chip again and have no luck. I need to have the ball almost die when it hits the green and let it trickle to the hole.

8 - par 4, I'm into the wind and mishit my drive. It's very low and hits the ground near the top of the ridge and bounces over. It's a whooping 124 yards but I'm in the fairway again. I have 151 to go and hit my 5i. It's off the toe and I end up in the right rough short of the green. I'm chipping to an elevated green and use my SW. I hit the chip and it comes out nicely and lands where i want and rolls on the green. I can't see the hole from where i'm standing and decide to use check the distance with my GPS. I was 32 yards from the flag and the ball ended up 5 feet past the hole. A pretty good chip IMO. A 5 foot par putt remains. I do my routine and miss it. Crap, I have an easy bogey putt though.

9 - par 5, I'm teeing off into the wind and into the face of a hill. I move the ball more towards the middle of my stance and I hit another high draw off the insert. The ball is looking great. It comes down just short of the flat landing area, well past the corner. 164 off the tee and in the fairway. I got some real height on this one and am real sure I hit it on the screws. The wind and hill kill the distance though. I have 260ish to go. I can't reach and decide to layup with my 7i. I hit a bit of a pull into the left fairway. I'm 115 to the front with a forward pin. The wind is left to right because of the dogleg. I take my 9i and hit a high draw that doesn't blow right. It lands a bit short and left of the green and rolls into a trap. A yard or 2 right and it would have been on the green. I get out of the bunker in 1 but the ball is in the fringe. I decide to use my poutter and I have about 21 feet to the hole. I hit the ball and it rolls 9 feet past. Bite me. It takes me two putt to hole out for a 7. I try the shot a few more times with my putter and LW and only 1 time did I get the ball to stop near the hole and that was a well struck chip with the LW.

A 43 in conditions where the ball won't travel, so it's a good thing I had moved up a tee box. I am also sold on the persimmon driver. I hit it better then I do my 460cc driver. I don't know why but I hit all my fairways and my bad shots still went a playable distance. I hit two drives off the screws and I think it's just a matter of ball position. I felt real confident with my game on the course today. I also noticed that I got closer to the ball with a few iron shots. This forced my right shoulder to go under my left in the downswing. Playing with a flat club from the 60s is changing things for the better. I think I'll be removing my callaway diablo 4w and replacing it with the persimmon 4w I have.

I highly recomend trying a persimmon wood if you can find one. Check Goodwill or a yard sale. I got a set of 4 on eBay for $70 with shipping, so I bet it's possible to find a single for alot less. It seems counter intuitive that a club that is almost 50 years old performs better for me then a modern driver. The shaft is a bit shorter and firmer. The head is heavier and you get feedback. You'll know when you hit it on the center of the face. I don't get that feedback from my modern driver.

My distances aren't great but I've been struggling with the driver and 4w off the tee. I'm starting to think that being a bit shorter off the tee in the fairway is better then 30 yards closer but 40 yards off to the right.

The last few rounds have really helped my mental outlook too. I'm not getting bent out of shape by bad shots and my oncourse ball striking is starting to show an improvement. I'm not thinking mechanics much and trying to force things as much on the course.

[pappaf2]

Nice work Bort! Sounds like you played dang well considering the conditions.

[bortass]

I got in another 27 holes the last two days. The persimmon driver stays in play alot better but the distance isn't great. My irons are on though. I almost hit a green from 171 with my 4i today. I missed about 2 - 3 yards right and in the fringe. A chip and putt for par.

My shortgame is a mixed bag. I played 2 9 hole rounds today and got up and down 8 times. On the flip side I had 4 holes where I had to chip twice. On 3 of them, I hit the ball through the green. On the other one, a chip was the wrong shot. It was a real long chip 30 yards and I was going into a green a few feet above me. I'm on the right and the flag is left. So I land my ball where i want but the angle makes it's bounce left away from the green. I needed to try to pitch it on.

There was another frost delay, so play started on the back. I used the persimmon driver from the forward yellows and shot a 54. I hit a push draw too close to the right trees on #16 and that gave me my first unplayable tee shot in awhile. I get just short of the green in 3 and then 2 chips and 2 putts for a 7 put an end to that 9. I got to 17 with no reason to keep playing. I sliced the first tee shot OB and then 3 putt from 5 feet for an 8. I also carded an 8 on 18. I can't post scores, so the only thing to make me focus and play serious is trying to crack 90. That 7 on 16 made it impossible for me to have much hope. 38 through 7 won't cut it.

I decide to switch some clubs on the front and use my Wishon 460cc driver and I played the whites. I hit the ball farther but of the 7 tee shots only 1 was playable. I hit a nice draw 209 on #7 and it led to a par. My irons saved me and I shot a 46 with two 7s on par 4s.

I talked to the pro a bit yesterday and one of the things he mentioned is that my tee shots are the key. My irons are generally good enough. My tee shots kill me and I need to work on the shortgame more.

Here are some tee shot stats from 9/1/11 till present. 42 shots with the persimmon 1W, 12 with the 4w, and 70 with the 460cc driver.

Accuracy, a miss is a shot that completely sucks like a top that doesn't reach the fairway:
1W Fairway 67%, miss 7%, right 26%.
4W Fairway 83%, miss 8%, right 8%
DR fairway 49%, miss 4%, Left 13%, right 34%

Playable, this is just my judgement call on if the shot stayed in play. I either hit the fairway with a decent enough shot or I missed someplace where I have a legit shot. So a slice where I can go for the green is playable. A 80 yard top down the middle is not a playable shot.

1W Playable 76%/24%
4W Playable 83%/17%
Dr Playable 44%/56%

Distance:
1W 151 avg with a range of 47 - 198
4W 160 avg with a range of 103 - 180
DR 162 avg with a range of 30 - 233

Hitting green in reg
1W 7%
4W 17%
DR 6%


The 4w is hard to say since it doesn't have alot of reps. The driver has just plan sucked. Not being able to use a driver bums me out a bit since my 5i is 160ish when I hit it decent. I won't average 160 but that's about distance I use it from. So yards off the tee mean alot. I need everyone I can get.

[Bogeyshai]

Great thread and great attitude.

"Golf owes you nothing, you have to go out there and get it ! "

You sir, are going to get it! Keep up the good work.

[bortass]

[quote name='Bogeyshai' timestamp='1320681895' post='3770361']
Great thread and great attitude.

"Golf owes you nothing, you have to go out there and get it ! "

You sir, are going to get it! Keep up the good work.
[/quote]

Thanks.

I got in 18 today. the weather was nice and the course closes on Sunday for the year, so it's my last hurrah. I played the persimmon driver all day and it was the shorter yellows. Started on the back again thanks to frost earlier in the day.

14 driving holes. 8 fairways hit, 8 playable drives. I had 6 bad tee shots 2 on the back, 4 on the front. 10, I shank it 30 yards. On 16 I hit a slice into the right trees. I pull out dbl bogeys on both holes. #5 I top it 6 yards and card an 8. #7 is a slice into 8, 8 is a low power fade that stays in the right hole but only went 91 yards and left me too far out. 9 I slice it 75 yards into a small pine. I came off the back telling my partner this was the best driving ever with the persimmon. It was close to my 4w. I hit a drives of 200, 186, 175, 173, and 182(the bad ones went 33 and 119). We hit the front and I hit a nice draw 208 down the middle. I hit decent shots on 2 and 3 but lose it once i hit #5. I'm becoming sold on this club.

My irons are moving to another level. I'm not getting any more yardage but I am very confident with them. #13 is a par 3, I hit a high draw just left of the flag and it rolls back to 3 feet. I have other iron shots that are not moving after they hit or even sucking back a few feet. I am getting the ball in the air and alot of my misses are close to the green. I feel fine laying up from 200 yards and hitting two wedges vs trying to whack a 4w close. earlier this year I would have said, why layup? The odds are i'll bone one of the two iron shots, might as well whack a wood and pray.

On another par 3 I hit PW. The tee faces west and the sun is very low. I hit the ball and it sounds good but neither of us see it. We hear it land and I see something move in the right trees. We never heard the ball hit a tree though. The ball was in a small 10 foot clearing where I saw the movement. We think the ball dropped straight down through this opening since we never heard it hit a branch or tree. That means I hit my PW higher then some mature pine trees and it had the great high and steep ball flight.

I still have mishits with the irons but overall it's alot better then a month ago. The mishits are either thin or a bit heavy. The persimmon swing is moving into my irons. I can't explain it any other way. I'm not on the range at all and I've played more then this and had them suck.

I hit 5 greens with my approach shot. So I missed 13 and got up and down on 4 of them. I should have had 5 but blew a 3 foot par putt. his includes a sand save on #9.

Oh, #1 drive is 208 in the FW. I have 60ish yards and pitch my LW. It's long and near the back of the green. i have 30+ feet downhill putt and i roll it in to birdie this hole for the first time ever. I was so psyched. Lol.

Things are really turning around with my outlook. I'm more positive overall though I do complain about bad shots still.

[bortass]

Another day of great wqeather in the 60s, so I had to play some golf. Yellow tees again, which are about 5500 yards. All drives are with the persimmon 1W. Once again play started on the back.

10 - par 5, I hit a low fade 155 under a pine tree in the right rough. I'm actually past the tree and the branches don't interfer with my swing. I deecide to hit my 5i and I duff it 50 yards or so. Awesomeness. 5i again from the fairway and I duff it. I'm 200 yards out in 3. Suckage. What the hell, I'll hit my 4w off the deck. This is my Calloway DiabloOctane 4w. it's a high fade that goes 170ish and lands short of the green. Normally I would have hit a PW but I can't afford to play conservative after that lousy start. I pitch on and 3 putt from 17 feet for an 8. The 4w off the deck is keeping my spirits up.

11 - par 4, I hit areal high draw that flies like an iron and only goes 166 with no real roll. I'm in the FW and about 200 yards out. What the heck, let's hit 4w again. It's a draw that gets in the air and lands a bit short and left of the green. I'm about 2 yards short and 4 yards left of the front of the green. I chip to 9 feet and 2 putt for a bogey. My 4w on 10 was good, soIi thought I'd hit another and try to play for a par instead of laying up and hitting the green in 3 fullshots.

12 - par 4, I hit a low darw that runs out a good 50 yards for a 209 yard drive in the fairway. I'm 108 or so out and hit my PW. It's a high draw that's a bit of a push and I miss left. I'm chipping from rough with the grass growing towards me. My landing area is a slope above the hole. I hit a good looking chip into the fringe and it misses the hole by a couple of inches on the right side. The slope makes it roll out 18 feet past the hole. I doubt I would have holed this if I hit the flag however the ball flight was what I wanted. I didn't skull it past the hole, just too big of a swing. My par putt is 2 feet short, so i get a bogey and move on.

13 par 3, about 143 or so today. I hit my 7i and it's a massive low pull and I lose the ball in some GUR. I drop and pitch on to 26 feet. 3 putts later I have a dbl bogey and I'm a bit bummed. A par here would have gone a long ways to offset that 8 on 10.

14 - par 4, I hit a push slice and I fear it may be OB. I find it in the right rough about 147 off the tee. I could whack a 4w and try to get close but why risk it. I have OB right and even a perfect 4w won't reach the green. I layup with an 8i and it comes off my club real good. it's a high draw into the left fairway. I'm 99 yards out in a soft spot with casual water. My nearest relief is a sidehill lie in the rough under the trees. I decide to play it as it lies. There's wind in my face and since i'm sinking in the ground I need to grip down on the club, oh the green is also elevated above me by 3 yards or so. I decide to hit my PW because of this. My PW is my 110 club. I swing and i hear a crack as the clubhead hits the ball. it's a high draw that sails long. I GPS the shot and my 110 club went 116, when i expect it to go 100 or so because of the ground conditions and wind. I chip and it's 15 feet short. My putt has good speed but stops a foot out on the low side. I have a dbl bogey. Not great but i'm so used to this hole being the same as a par 5, I'm fine with it. I can't complain about my PW shot because I hit it pretty pure.

15 - par 3 with the pond. Today it's about 117 to the front with a forward pin. I hit my 120 club, 9i, and it's another high draw that lands just short of the green. The ball hopped backwards on impact again. I decide to chip with my LW. I hit a nice chip that stops 4 feet out. I sink the par putt and i'm feeling good with myself.

16 - par 4, I top my drive but it rolls out 141 yardds in the fairway. I'm 188 out and punch my 5i to get into wedge range. I hit it solid and I have 80 yards left. I have a good angle at the flag with a bunker short and right. The green is above me and I hit my LW. It's a high draw that's heading right for the flag. The flag never moves and I can't see the ball since the green is above me. I GPS the shot and the flag was 80 yards after all. The pitch mark of my shot was 2 feet short and left of the flag and it rolled out 4 feet, so it was an 81 yard shot that is 2 feet past the hole on the left. Sweet. Par is dancing in my head as i admire my handiwork with the LW. I hit the ball and it breaks low with no chance of rolling in... So I two putt from 2 feet for a 5.

17 - par 4, and I catch up with a single. He invites me to hit and I top it 64 yards into the crap in front of the tee boxes.

'You can hit a mulligan if you want" he says. "There's no such thing as mulligans", I reply. I know this may sound harsh but it's not meant as such. I was just replying on how I play my game, I don't mind how anyone else plays as long as they keep pace and don't destroy the course. My ball is in some wet rough inside the GUR ropes. There's no place to take relief, so I hit out. I use my 7i and it's a high draw into the fairway. 'What club was that?", my new partner asked. "My 7i." 'You crushed that one', he said. We chat some more over the next few holes and it's role reversal in a way. He's been playing for a little while and taking lessons. He's where I was a few years ago. It was a different feeling for me.

I have 88 yards to go, thanks to that great 7i. My SW is a bit heavy, not much and the ball is 3 feet short of the green. I chip with my putter and the ball wraps around the back of the cup stopping less then 3 inches out. Almost got my par. I'll take the tap in bogey after that tee shot though.

He mentions that he's playing the yellows when we get to 18 and I tell him that I am as well. Neither of us hits the ball long enough to make the whites easy. So neither of us have any pressure regarding the tees being played. Not that there ever should be but ya never know.

18 - par 5, I hit a nice draw, 199, over the hill into the rough through the fairway. I have only been over this hill one time before. I hit my 5i and get another high draw that gets me to 101 yards. I take my GW and hit a high draw that misses right of the green. I then chip to inside 4 feet and sink the par putt. I tell my partner that he's goodluck with regard to my chipping.

He decides to get some food at the turn and I continue on. I join the twosome that was in front of us on 1. They leave after 35 and the groups infront slow things down enough that I hook up with the guy from earlier on #7.

1 - par 4, I smoke a draw down the middle 214 leaving me 58 yards to the front. I pitch my LW and come up a few feet short of the green. I chip with the putter and get the ball to 3 feet or so. I'm dodging another guys line when it's my turn to putt becuase his ball is closer but behind me in a spot where my stance is getting close to his ball.I miss my putt and have a bogey. A missed opportunity.

2 - par 4, I slice one 170 into the rough near the pine trees. I punch a 5i into the fairway through a large gap in the trees. I'm 88 yards out in a real soft spot. My SW is real fat and the ball is short of the green. I chip on and 3 jack for a 7. Damn.

3 - par 4, I hit it thin but it goes 155 in the fairway. I have 133 or so to go. I hit my 8i and it's a high draw that lands on the green and only rolls out a few feet. I have 30 feet to go or so. I hit the putt and it drops in the center of the hole for a birdie. My first birdie ever on this hole. Two days in a row I birdie a hole for the first time. I am so stoked now. I'm loving things.

4 - par 3 over the stream and about 151 yards. I hit my 6i and it's another high draw that lands on the right front of the green. The flag is more center left, so it's another real long putt and i lag it inside 3 feet and secure a par. Two 3s in a row. Not sure i've ever written that on a scoreecard before.

5 - par 4, this is a tee box that is really just part of the fairway on a hill. it's an uphill lie and i topped it 6 yards yesterday. Today I top it 99 yards... I have 200 yards to go and a decent lie, so what the heck it's 4w time. I wait for the green to clear and then I whiff... OMG. I try again and it's thin and short. My pitch is fat and short of the green. I chip on and two putt for a 7. Argh. The forward tee should make this hole easier and it's killed me the last two days.

6 - par 3 and about 115. I hit my 9i and it's another draw that lands on the green. I'm alone so I pace it off and it's a 26 foot putt. I get it within 18 inches for another par.

7 - par 4, I hit a low pull hook that goes 193 into the left rough. I hit my 4i into the fairway on the right. I have 50 yards to go and choke down on my LW for the pitch. I push it and miss right, my distance was on though. I chip on and 2 putt for a dissapointing 6.

8 - par 4, this is another teebox on an upslope in the fairway.gain i top it all of 56 yards. I hit my 5i and pull it. It's heading for the left trees and OB. It hits a birch and kicks right into the FW. I'm 126 out and hit a pull with my 8i and I miss left. I chip on 21 feet short of the hole. I sink the bogey putt. Phew.

9 - par 5, I hit a great draw 178 into the upper landing area. I can't try to go for it, so I hit my 5i. it's a slice into the right tree line. The ground in soft and boggy here. No sign of the ball that probably plugged. I drop a ball and hit my 9i left of the green. I chip on and 1 putt for a 6.

End of the day it's a 92 with an 8 and two 7s. The 1W is starting to play like my modern 4w distance wise. I'm getting more distance but the average isn't moving up fast because of the tops that only went 50 - 60 yards. I now have 4 shots that have gone 200 - 214, and alot more in the 1 70 - 18o range. My 4w off the deck was not bad, except the whiff. I missed 12 greens and got up and down on 5 of them.

The course closes in 5 days and rain is gonna hit Thursday. Not much golf left but I feel like i'm playing some of the best golf i ever have.