Journey to Break 90

[bortass]

Man things are a struggle. I'm still doing the impact bag drills and haven't played a heck of alot. I played 9 on 4/22. It was in the 40s.low 50s windy and drizzling. I shot an impressive 55. My driver off the tee was decent except on 2 holes, other wise it was in the fairway and playable with good distances for me. My irons really let me down though. I could not hit them for jack. That put alot of pressure on my shortgame and it crumbled like a sandcastle at high tide. I had 10 chips and 20 putts. It was a nightmare. The day I shot the 88 I was missing near the greens. This round I'm chipping from 20 yards away etc. I have no touch with the putter either.

I did go back later in the day and worked on my chipping and putting for 30 minutes, then it started to rain. I did some chipping and putting again later in the week, as well as some range work. The range work was not that great at first, then after talking to the pro I found out my problem. The ball was going way left on me, pull hooks. It turns out I had strengthened my grip by mistake when i should have weakened it. A complete brain cramp on my part. Once I weakened it I started to get a much better ball flight.

Saturday rolls around and I'm playing in a scramble. My irons are a mess again except for a GW that I put 4 feet from the hole, it was a very high nice draw. My shortgame and putting were not pretty again either, though the first putt of the day was a 30+ footer i sank for birdie. Being the D player I almost always putt and hit first. The surprise was my driver. I was hitting some nice fades and occasional draw with it and getting some real good distance on it. However I was not using the weaker grip. I used my normal grip because when i weakened it, the ball went right on me. I think that was part of the issue with my irons, I don't have the grip change ingrained yet.

I went back to the course later in the afternoon and spent another 30 or so minutes on chipping and putting. I gotta find a shortgame.

Today I played 18. I carry my driver 226 on #1, it plugged becuase of the rain. On 2 I hit a pull hook, now this is interesting. It looks like some of the swing adjustments are creeping into the driver. Same deal on 3 and 5. On 7 I hit a pull with very little curve. 8 and 9 are both pushes. 10 and it's a nice draw 225, all carry another plugged ball, into the middle of the FW. 11 is a nice draw. 12 fades, and 14 is a push fade into the right trees. 16 again a baby draw. 17 is send straight OB right and 18 it's a nice high fade 212. My irons were a bit scattered today as well. The difference is I was starting to see the expected mishits with both irons and driver. So I wasn't that upset about the way things were going. I knew why stuff was happening and I decided to let the shot shape dictate how i felt more then the result of the shot.

My shortgame was crap again for the first 9 holes, though I did get up and down twice in the first 9. I started to move the ball forward when I was chipping and that helped. On the back, I got up and down 4 times. So things started to come together on the back for me. I plan to head back to the course to work on the chipping and putting in a few minutes.

I expect it may be awhile before i post a good score. Right now I'm still not trying to score. For example, I'm hitting my 4w off the deck on par 5s and long par 4s instead of laying up if i was trying to go low. I'm in a learning phase and while my scores will suffer, I will be in good shape mentally if I can keep this attitude.

[pappaf2]

Are you still playing with the permission woods and blades?

 

It really seems like your driver is gaining some nice consistency.

 

I feel your pain on the short game suffering. I've been working exclusively on my full swing and my short game has been abysmal because of it. (not that it has ever been even decent )

 

 

Keep up the good work.

[bortass]

Are you still playing with the permission woods and blades?

 

It really seems like your driver is gaining some nice consistency.

 

I feel your pain on the short game suffering. I've been working exclusively on my full swing and my short game has been abysmal because of it. (not that it has ever been even decent )

 

 

Keep up the good work.

 

 

 

 

The persimmon hasn't been used in awhile. My driver has been 'on' until today. Last year the driver averaged 169, with 48% FW hit and 58% of them being playable. This year excluding today the average is 198, 52% FW hit and 70 % playable. A huge difference. I've carried the ball a bit over 220 a few times now, granted it's with an elevate tee shot but still. I'm curious to see how it fairs as i work these changes out. I epect the numbers to drop and then rebound.

 

The blades I use quite a bit on the range. namely the 8i Wilson Staff. I like the feedback I get from them. I was telling the pro earlier today that I'm thinking of playing a round with my MacGregor blades. It's not like I'm setting the cource on fire with awesome scores of late. SO I may do it as a lark. Either that or I should game my persimmon and Wilson Staff blades. Woods and irons from the 60s. That would be interesting.

I

[bortass]

I spent another 30 or so minutes chipping and putting yesterday. It paid off later that night. I played a quick 9 after dinner. I shot a 46 with a 6 on a par 3. I missed every green but 1. However I had 3 holes where I had 1 chip and 1 putt. I had some tricky chips again so I only stuck it close once. I was able to sink two longer putts though.

My irons were off. My one good iron was a 6i that I hit the green with. I had some servicable shots but not many. The par 3 with a 6 was because I lost the ball off the tee in the trees. Dunno what I did but I hit a massive push slice with a 9i. I heard it hit one tree, then another. So I hit a provisional which was a slight push into the trees. Sure enough I couldn't find the first one.

I followed up that triple with my best hole of the night. I hit a nice baby draw into the wind 228 and into the fairway a touch on the left side, the tees were all the way to the right and it's a dogleg right. I hit a 6i from 150 aand missed the green a little right. I chip on and sink an 8 footer for par on a hole that I normally struggle with.

It was a decent round with 1 par, 6 bogies, a double, and a triple.

I'll keep working my drills and spending my range time chipping and putting. I will need to do some full swing work at some point though. The drills with the impact bag are working but I need to hit balls to work through some things. No hurry though.

[bortass]

The weather here hasn't been the greatest. Rain and in the 50s. I haven't been able to get out to practice until today.

Today, at lunch, I went to the range to work on my full swing. I hit the Wilson 8i and my normal 7i. Some shots were ok, most were going right on me. I talked to the pro after the session and he found it odd the ball was doing what I described. So we went on the range and the first thing he tells me is the ball is too far forward. I move it back a bit and the ball stopped going right as much pretty much right away. I still was hitting some pushes. He tells me I hit pretty straight and that i'm aimed way to the right, lol. I hit maybe a dozen or so balls with the adjusted position and it was alot better.

I decided to play 9 after dinner. It's pretty wet and 50s.

1- par 4, I hit a pull over into the second fairway, 179. No roll. I have 149 to center and need to carry some small pine trees, not a huge deal but it's not like I have a wide open shot. I hit a high draw, like I did on the range earlier, with my 6i to the back right corner of the green. 2 putts for par.

2- par 4, I hit driver and it's a nice draw that lands and rolls a little, only 184 though. I'm 145 out with an elevated green. I decide on 6i. I hit it thin and my hands were cold so it felt real awesome. I'm watching the ball, as I'm shaking my right hand back and forth, and it's a low shots that gets up by the green to the right. Not too bad. My chip is so so and I 2 putt for a bogey.

3- par 4, driver and it's a high push, 202 all carry because it plugged. I'm 180 with a bad angle and real soft ground. I pitch with my SW, laying up in the middle just short of the edge of the slope leading down to the stream. I'm 115 from center and decide on my GW. I have my new weaker grip and the ball back in my stance. I swing and I don't really feel anything. The ball is a real high baby draw that's tracking at the flag. I watch the ball land less then 3 feet right behind the flag and release a bit. I was dead on. It's about 9 feet and I 2 putt for my 5. I couldn't belive that GW. It felt like i didn't even hit the ball.

4 - par 3, 150 to center, back pin. I hit my 6i and it's a high draw that lands on the right side and rolls towards the flag. I GPS things, I was 159 from the hole and I put my 6i 9 feet to the right and a little below hole high. I look over the birdie putt and leave it short, . Bah, I hate that. I have my par though.

5- par 4, I hit a high baby fade with the driver, 193, down the left side and to the edge of the downslope. I'm in a good spot and have 183 to center. The ball is a bit below my feet, so I leave the 4w in the bag and hit my 4i. It's a bit fat and only goes about 120. I pitch on with my LW from 60 out and 2 putt for a bogey.

6- par 3, the tees are to the right and there are some pine tree branches overhanging the right side of this tee box. It's about 137 and I hit my 7i. It starts a little right, pretty straight so I expect it to draw, and it catches one of the over hanging branches at the front of the tee box. Damn, I hit that ball good too. It drops well short in the soft stuff. I pitch again with my LW but it just digs in real deep and the ball barely gets on the green. I have a long putt and I send it 9 feet past the hole, so much for leaving things short. My next putt grazes the low side of the hole and stays out, so I tap in for a 5. My first bad hole of the night.

7-par 4 and the tees are on the right again. I hit a high baby fade with the driver 223 into the left side of the FW. I have 170 to go and decide on my 4i. I catch it a touch thin, so it's a low draw that lands short and rolls up the slope leading to the green, but it doesn't quite make it. I use my LW and chip the ball to about 4 feet. My par putt almost catches the top of the hole, but no dice. I settle for a disappointing bogey.

8- par 4, I hit a big push fade into the right trees. Thge ball lands in a decent spot and I punch my 7i to the left side of the FW and 100 yards out. It's a bit wet and soft where it ends up. The area is roped off to keep carts out but my ball is not in casual water, so I play it down. My SW is thin. It's a real low shot the rolls through the green. I chip on and 2 putt for a 6. Crap another dbl bogey. Things have been going well.

9- par 5, dogleg right. I smoke a high draw 224 on top of the hill and almost through the FW. I'm 237 from center and the ball is a touch below my feet. It's 4w time! I swing and whiff, almost falling over, . So I swing again and sent the ball into the right trees. It's in soft stuff, so I get some relief from casual water. I take it and hit a punch with my 7i and it's not good. It's a low shot off to the right. Maybe I was aimed wrong agian. Anyhow it only goes 20 yards and is still in the trees. I now have a shot at the green, I just need to keep it low. I punch my PW to the left fringe near the middle of the green. A pretty good out. A chip and 2 putts later I have an 8.

End result is another 46. My irons were pretty good tonight. The driver was ok. The cluster on #9 is not a big deal. I wasn't trying to score this round, so I played the 4w. Otherwise I'd hit a PW and PW, but I want to try to figure out how to hit that 4w off the deck. I just need to keep it to spots where I have a level lie. No biggie.

[pappaf2]

Nice work bort. I was reading that and after the first 5 holes I was thinking dang, he's going to take this 9 low. A little trouble at the end but it seems like things are progressing nicely.

[bortass]

[quote name='pappaf2' timestamp='1336094978' post='4844136']
Nice work bort. I was reading that and after the first 5 holes I was thinking dang, he's going to take this 9 low. A little trouble at the end but it seems like things are progressing nicely.
[/quote]


Thanks, I was thinking that too while on the course. I think my PB on the front is either a 42 or 43. The two dbls aren't great but a 46 with an 8 on the card isn't bad. Maybe if I play to score it's closer to 44. Conditions aren't great either. It'll be nice when things dry out. Funny how you can score well when you're not trying. Good stuff.

[bortass]

No rain today but the course was walking only. I decided to play 18 earlier then normal since the vast majority of people ride. It's 50 - 60 degrees, slight wind and humid. Some fairways are casual water so I didn't bother to take relief a few times because there was no place to go.

The bad. I had two triples. #8 I hit a push fade 191 to the right side of the fairway. I'm 171 out and hit my 4i. It's a push right and catches a tree branch and falls 40 yards short and right of center. I hit the ball well but the direction sucked. My super long chip is short of the green. I'm in the fringe and decide to use my putter to chip. Mistake! The wet grass killed it and I 3 putt from 15 feet. #14, second hardest hole, I send my tee shot OB right. My next shot goes 224. I'm behind a mound and layup with a 7i. A 4i I thought would just hit the mound. I punch my SW through the green but nget up and down for 7.

The good. Pretty much everything else. I got up and down 7 times. I was +4 through 7 thanks to a dbl on #4. I had 5 pars, 2 dbls, and 2 triples. That left 9 bogeys. I wasn't perfect and had some brainfarts but shot a 91, 44/47. I'm feeling real good. I could have cracked 90 from the whites but I made a few mistakes and barely missed a few putts.

[Upper Michigan]

Keep working at it. It's just a matter of time before you bust through that barrier.

[bortass]

I'm all over the map. Alot of rain here, so I'm not getting alot of practice in. I do spend most of my time working on chipping and putting though. The course is very wet. Balls tend to stop where they hit in the FW or you'r standing on soft ground. So it's not scoring conditions.

After the 91 I have played 6 9 hole rounds. I walked off the course after 9 holes 3 times because my swing/scores were off and I had other things to do. I figure the golf gods were telling me to keep working on the garage overhaul project i started 2 weeks ago, lol. I've gone 54, 44, 43, 53, 51, and 45. The 45 was with an 8 on a par 5.

Some days my irons are on, some days the driver is good. My shortgame is what has been saving me. I'm starting to chip in and get up and down alot more. I chipped in for birdie on #2 tonight and it's the second toughest hole on the front.

The driver is either a nice baby draw, a push, or a push slice. I'm hitting alot of push slices lately. My irons are missing right too. I know what the issue is, so I'm starting to work on it.

[bortass]

I'm very up and down score wise. I shot a good 9 and then follow it up with a clunker. The last revision was interesting though. I posted 9 combined scores in 2012 and 7 of those were in my top 10. This is definate proff I'm improving.

My practice is the bag work and chipping. I have hit the range a few times to work full swing stuff but I still spend more time chipping. It seems to be paying off. My good rounds are when my shortgame is good. My driver and irons are a bit all over the place. Sometimes good, sometimes not.

Tonight was the second league night. We use a quota system and I came in second last week. My quota was 4 and I got 10 points. Birdies are 4 points, so my chip in on 2 got my quota. Because of that my quota tonight was 7. So much for doing good. We played the back which is longer by 300 yards. It's easier based on slope but harder for me because of length.

10 - par 5, I hit driver off the tee and it's a high draw into a soft area in the left fairway, 208 yards. The ball plugged so I took a drop. I was still in the dsoft spot and the grass is long because the mowers can't enter it, all roped off. I hit a decent 5i out and into the fairway. I'm 218 from center still.I need a bogey to score a point, so I decide to hit my 4w. I'm trying to get close in 3 and maybe I can get up and down. I make solid contact and the ball misses the green a bit short and right. I pitch over a bunker and on the green. I have a lengthy putt, 30+ feet, and i 3 putt for a dbl bogey 7 and no points.

11- long par 4, I tee off with my driver and hit a push slice into a stand of trees on the right, 184 yards. I'm in the middle of a clump of trees but it's open enough for me to swing the club. However I need to keep the ball real low, branches start maybe 6 feet off the ground. I punch my 4i and clip a smaller branch, which deflects the ball down a bit, however I hit it hard enough that it rolls after landing. I'm in the right rough 150 yards out. I hit my 6i and it's a mid height draw that lands on the greens and rolls off long. I chip to 4 feet and sink the putt for a 5. A point, yay. At least I got one.

12 - par 4, my driver has been leaking right alot, so i aimed a bit left. I hit a high draw straight left. I watch it sail out of sight towards the left trees. 'I think I'll hit a provisional', I say to my group as I hear the ball hit a tree. Then I see the ball bouncing in the FW towards us a bit. I'm 175 off the tee in the left rough. The tree saved me. It's 195 to the center of the green and i hit my 4w. I make solid contact and the ball flies fairly straight and I miss to the right of the green. I was hitting from the left rough, so the shot actually went straight. I was happy with it. I chip on inside 3 feet and sink the par putt. Another 2 points, not bad.

13 - par 3, it's 140 to center and I hit my 8i. It's a touch thin but still a high draw. it lands on the green and rolls left away from the hole. I'm a good ways out, 30ish feet. My birdie putt doesn't break like I thought, so while my speed was good I'm 4 feet away. I do sink the par putt though. I have 5 of my 7 points. This is shaping up to be decent.

14 - long par 4, ob right and hazrd left. I go with driver and rip a high draw down the middle 233. one of my best drives ever on this hole. I'm 171 from center and my ball is on a small upslope. There's a little swale that cuts across the FW and I just didn't roll through it to a flat spot. I hit my 5i and it's 3 inches heavy and the ball only goes 50 yards or so. Awesome use of a great drive. I hit my PW and it's thin and left into another roped off area of soft ground. These areas are considered GUR, but I'm a bit unhappy, so i decide to play it as it lies. I pitch on with my LW and long, past the hole. I manage a 2 putt for a 6.

15 - par 3 pond carry. I'm not very happy with wasting that great drive on 14. This hole is about 150, over a pond, into the wind. I decide to hit my 5i. It's a little thin but a high draw that lands on the right front of the green. The flag is more left back and I'm 43 feet away roughly. I hit my putt and watch it roll across the green and the little hump between me and the hole. The ball keeps going and hits the cup dead center for a birdie! 4 points and I'm now +2 with three holes to go.

I didn't think I had a chance since I need 7 points but I guess I was wrong.

16 - par 4, I hit my driver and it's a high draw 215 into the fairway. I'm 111 out and my GW is a bit thin. I'm on the green and 30 feet away. Hey, I just made a longer birdie putt then this. I leave my birdie putt a good 6 feet out like an idiot. My par putt lips out and I end up with a 5. I do some quick math and a bogey and par on the last two holes will get me to 13 pts which is +6, which was good enough for second last week.

17 - par 4, ob right. I stay with driver and I rip one 233 down the right side. I'm in the rough and the ball is a good 18 inches above my feet. i've never hit a ball this fair on this hole before. too bad i didn't go down the middle, lol. I'm 115 out and decide to hit my GW. This is a green where you want to be below the hole. i make ok contact but I'm short of the green. I proceed to blade my chip. i watch it speed past the flag and probably off the green but i hit a ball on the green. My ball stops and his goes flying. Very lucky break, that saved me and kept me on the green and his got moved back. I'm directly above the hole and away. It's a good 10 feet, maybe 14. I tap my ball and it tracks right into the hole for a par. The guy whose ball I hit has pretty much the exact same putt. He also does the same for his par. So my hitting his ball with the chip worked well for both of us.

18 - par 5, I hit a high draw with the driver 215 into the fairway. I'm about 250 - 260 out. Alot of people would hit a 3w. My ball is in a slight low spot, nothing major. I want to score, so the 4w stays in the back and I hit my 5i instead. I make very good contact and it's a high draw that plugs on landing in the fairway on the right side. I'm about 120 out and hit my PW. It's a high draw that misses the green right by a foot, but it lands on a slope that feeds towards the green, so my ball rolls down towards the flag. I'm about 18 feet away and miss my birdie putt by 2 feet. I sink the par putt to end the round.

So I end up with 14 points, which is +7. I have no idea where this will place me since conditions were better this week but I should win something. I also shot a 41 which is a PB 9 and it's on the 9 that I find the hardest. I'd be dangerous if I could stop flip flopping between one gound round and 1 bad round. I'm up to 11 combined scores for the year and 9 of them are sub 100. It's just a matter of time.

I plan to keep working on what I've been doing. I'm also playing in my first 'real' tourney in a few days. It's one of the tourneys by the state golf association. It's a private club, so this is the only way i'd ever get to play it. it also has a slope of about 130. I mostly play a course with a slope of 115, so I expect it to eat my lunch. It should be fun though.

[bortass]

I played in my first ever MSGA tourney a few days ago. It was at the Woodlands, which is a private club that hosted events as part of the Hogan Tour. It has a slope of 134 and is the hardest course I've ever played. I've never been on a course like this before and it's different. Real sand in the bunkers. Greens that roll true and are fast. The biggest thing I found was missing a green was very bad. You either end up in the rough or a bunker and it's not easy to get up and down. I played pretty good, for me, and shot a 102 which is a net -1 with my full HCP. I expected to do alot worse. The tourney itself only used 80% of HCP, so I didn't do well individually but I didn't care.

I played 18 at my home course the following day. It was raining lightly when I started. It was an ugly round. My short game was off. I only hit a couple decent irons and my driver was going left. It was another 102. Yesterday I had hoped to play 18 but something came up and I only got in 9. It was alot better though with a 46.

I played 18 today. The weather was great for golf. 70s and sunny, no humidity.

1 - par 4, I hit driver and it's a solid high draw 241 down the middle. I have 70 yards to center and I punch my LW on the green. I get a two putt par and the round is off to a great start. The course is backed up so there's alot of waiting.

2 - par 4, My driver goes left 179 into the rough on #1. I have no shot at the green. I hit a low hook with my 4i that only gets a few feet above the ground. This sets me up 80 yards out and in the middle. I'm going uphill and punch my SW. The ball lands on the green and rolls off the right side which is the low side. I chip inside 3 feet and sink the putt for a bogey.

3 - par 4, I hit a low draw with my driver into the left rough 220. I'm under some pine branches and have to punch my PW from 127. I don't want to get real aggressive and go long. I'm above the green by 20 feet as well, so i figure that will help me out. I hit it decent and short of the green. I chip on and two putt for a 5. I left my par putt just a little short. I was a bit bummed by that.

4 - par 3, 152 yards to center and the green is below us. I hit a high draw with my 6i that carried 156 to the back of the green and it releases a whopping 3 feet to the left. A great shot. I have 13 feet or so to go and miss the birdie putt. I get my par though. Things are going real well for me.

5 - long par 4, I hit a high draw with the driver 233 into the left side of the fairway. One of my best tee shots ever on this hole. I'm 145 out and decide on my 6i. I hit it thin and it's short of the green. I chip on and two putt for a 5. I'll always take a 5 on this hole, so all is well.

6 - par 3, 133 to center. I hit my 9i and it's a high draw that's a bit right of target and it bounces into the right bunker. I had the right club and struck it solid. I fluff my first bunker shot and get out and on with the second. I then two putt from 10 feet for a 5. I'm a little bummed by that.

7 - par 4, I hit another high draw with my driver over the hill and it rolls out a little, 237 yards in the FW. I have 144 to go and wind in my face. I hit my 7i and it starts a good 10 yards right of the green and it's looking like another push. The ball starts curving left and lands on the right side of the green. I have a birdie putt inside 10 feet and sink it. First time I have ever birdied this hole. I'm thinking how this 3 offsets the 5 on the previous hole. So things are still good.

8 - par 4, I hit a real solid push draw OB left. My provisional goes 203 into the fairway. I don't find my first shot, not that I expected to. I decide to hit my 6i and it's fat and hits a treen branch on the right and fall into the rough near the cart path. I hit another punch with a wedge but I'm through the green. I chip it to inside 2 feet ands escape with a 7.

9 - par 5, I hit a very high fade over the pine trees, cutting the corner. A 212 yard shot and I'm in a great spot. I leave my 4w in the bag and hit my 7i. It's a nice push slice under the right trees.What the hell? I'm 112 out and hit my PW left of the green. I chip on and two putt for a 6. I'm a bit bummed by these last two holes.

10 - par 5, we wait a good 15 minutes to tee off. When we do, I hit a high draw 223 into the right side of the FW. I decide to hit my 4w and it's decent. It's a low draw that sets me up 139 from center. I go with my 8i and hit a high pull and miss left. I chip on to 3 feet and sink the par putt.

11- long par 4, I hit my driver 216 down the middle. Another high draw, i'm loving this ball flight. I'm 198 out and hit my 4w. It's low and comes up short of the green. I chip on but still have a lengthy putt. I end up two putting for a 5. Which is what I want on this hole anyways, par is a rare bonus.

12 - par 4, and I hit a high pull draw. I see it land on the left side, so I'm fine. I go looking for tyhe ball and it's in the left trees. I chip out with a 4i. I still don't have a shot at the green, so i hit a low hook with my 7i that gets me short and right. I chip inside 2 feet and get the putt for a bogey 5.

13 - par 3 that's 143 to center. I hit my 8i and it's a high draw that misses the green right. I'm almost pin high and the flag is near the right edge. I chip using my LW and get it inside 3 feet and get my par.

14 - long par 4 with OB right and hazard left. I hit another high draw with my driver 219 into the FW. I'm 188 out and decide on my 4i. I always screw up a 4w off the deck on this hole. I hit it a bit thin and it ends up short of the green, which is what i expected. My chip is also thin but I get away with it. The ball stops inside 2 feet. I sink my putt for par on the second hardest hole. I'm stoked.

15 - par 3, pond carry 150 to center wind a bit in the face. The flag is back and I hit my 5i. It's another high draw. It lands past the flag and left of it and rolls a few feet and into the fringe, long. A great shot. I hit it perfectly. I use my putter and chip inside two feet and secure another par.

16 - par 4, I hit a high draw but it's more left then I like. It goes 208 into the left rough. I'm 144 out and hit my 7i. The wind is behind me and i hit it well. It's a high draw that misses the green left and kicks long, exactly where i do not want to be. I'm now chipping from the soft mud under the trees. I have to go over the cart path to a green that it 6+ feet above my ball and it slopes away from me.. I hit my chip up over the lip and on the green. A partner tells me I missed the hoe by a few inches. The ball is a good 9 feet below the hoile, so hitting the flag would have just slowed me down. I'm real happy with my chip though. I look over my putt and I leave it 6 inches short, doh. I get my 5 though and i'm real happy. I'm thinking to myself that I'm -5 from level 5s on the back so far. This is awesome.

17 - par 4, OB right. I'm hitting the driver good and stay with it. I address the ball and somesthing seems just a little off. I swing and hit a high push OB. I hit a provisional and ahorsefly is playing tag with my legs as i'm trying to do it. I hit a low pull hook into the left trees. We don't find the original tee shot but my provisional kicked into the fairway. An awesome 156 yards off the tee. I have 166 to center and chunk my 5i. I have about 112 to center and long is bad. My GW is thin and long on the back of the green. Bite me. I have a long putt downhill, sloping alot away from me. I hitr my putt and leave it 5 feet out. I end up 3 putting for an 8. I'm a bit mad at myself. Things were going great and i just screwed things up. A par or bogey on 18 and i should be fine though.

18 - par 5, I hit driver and never see the ball. A partner tells me the line it took. I think I hit it thin. I look around and find a ball in the tall rough. It's a top flite, so it's mone. I'm behind some trees and chip out with my 4i. I get ready to hit my third shot when someone tells me, 'your ball is back here'. I look at the ball I was about to hit and it's a top flite but completely different model. I just hit the wrong ball. I pick it up and throw it into a bunker. I'm p!ssed now. How could I do soemthing that stupi and p!ss away my shot at breaking 90. My ball is in the rough and I have a clear shot. I mishit my 5i. I'm 205 out and hit my 4w. I top it to about 116. I'm so mad at myself. My PW misses right and I chip to 3 feet. I sink the putt for an awesome 8.

Way to end a round, two snowmen. I do the math and I have a 43/46 for and 89. I finally broke 90 from the whites, a nice birthday present to myself. I definately had 85 in reach but 2 OB tee shots and the 2 strokes for a wrong ball doomed me. I'm not happy with that brain cramp. I am happy with how things went over all. I was +3 on the back through 7 holes.

I feel like I'm starting to play some real golf. I thought the same thing after I cracked 100 and now I'm at a new level. My index could drop by 1.5 - 2 strokes with the next revision. The pro says my next goal is 85. I can do that. I have the skills, it'll be the executiuon. My game has really advanced this year. My driver is awesome now. I'm averaging over 25 yards more with it now\ and I'm not missing fairways as much. I'll have to deal with the sandbagging claims till my index resets itself but I can deal with it.

Once again, thanks for reading my ramblings. Being accountable to you guys has been a great motivational tool for me to achieve my goals. It's strange how this thread and my one on breaking 100 helped keep me going. Maybe it's corny but I appreciate all of you who read my threads and helped keep me focused on things.

[Upper Michigan]

Good job Bort. Time to start the "Journey to break 85" thread.

[SwingBlues]

Yeah nice job Bort, don't worry about those snowmen or what could have been, golf is always "it is what it is", thats why its so tough to accept at times. Nice one!

[bortass]

Thanks guys. That 85 will happen eventually. I played 9 today and it was ugly. What I am finding is my shortgame is becoming more important. The classic wisdom is work on your short game to lower your scores. What I found is this is only true if you can keep the ball in play off the tee and can get near the green in a reasonable number of shots. When I first started to get serious about improving back in 2008, amazing how time flies, my shortgame wasn't the area that needed the work. It was my fulswing. Chipping and putting don't matter a heck of alot if you are duffing the ball and taking 6 strokes to reach a par 5 green.

What I have been noticing is my real good scores are when my shortgame is decent. I got up and down 7 times with that score of 89. I still don't hit alot of greens, so that is real important now. I may hit my iron a bit thin and be short, maybe long, or hit it on the sweetspot and go over the green etc. But if I can chip it close and sink the putt I'll have a par or bogey. Today I struggled and my shortgame was terrible, so my score was bad.

On the mental side, going low isn't a big deal. A few years ago par wasa nice rarity. Now if i string together 3 - 4 pars in a row it's no big deal. I don't do it alot but I do not feel like it's anything special when I do it. I guess I've done it enough that I'm used to scoring par. I still savor them when I get them though. It's that rare birdie that really gets me going. I've been lucky and gotten 3 in the last two weeks. They are becoming more common but that's because 1 is more then 0 if you know what I mean, lol.

[MaybeImLeftHanded]

Good job, keep it going Op

[bortass]

No major breakthroughs. Just haven't been able to play much with work and the weather. My last lesson was on shortgame. My chipping has gotten beter since then. I'm not mishitting it as much, distance control is still off though. I haven't been able to crack 90 since that 89. On the plus side I'm starting to par the harder holes more. I still think i have an 85 in me this year but who knows.