Journey to Break 90

[bortass]

My irons have been bent to standard. Picked them up today. I haven't hit them outside yet, however I did hit a few balls with them on a trackman. None went left. I hit the uber shot with my 5i. It was a draw that carried 170 and rolled out to 185. This is the club that I would hit to a target 150 away earlier this year. This was an outlier though. I was closer to 170 total with the 5i on most of the shots. My 7i was going total of 150ish. I have no idea how good the trackman is ie if settings have been monkeyed with.

I'm curious to see how things work out on the course and range. That's the real test. I figure things will be shorter in real life but that's fine.

[sopel10]

bortass

I have to say that i really enjoy reading your posts, i have been reading for a while, including the journey to break 100. I have been on the same journey for about two years, started breaking a 100 last year and finally broke 90 this past week with a 88.

It seems that you are improving and are very smart about what you can and can't do. I will only tell you what really worked for me. For one, i needed to learn to miss only on one side of the fairway - i learned not to slice my driver and only miss on the left when i hit a bad shot, and it usually is not that bad. Second was my short game, getting around the green in two shots and then getting it close to the hole. I have not scolded a chip shot in the last 3 rounds. When i take a practice swing i always tell myself to really hit the ball (to make sure i don't ever de-accelerate) and always down on the ball - anytime i try to get handsy and pick up the ball i end up on the other side.

I hope you will reach your goal soon, and again congrats on your progress so far.

[bortass]

bortass

 

I have to say that i really enjoy reading your posts, i have been reading for a while, including the journey to break 100. I have been on the same journey for about two years, started breaking a 100 last year and finally broke 90 this past week with a 88.

 

It seems that you are improving and are very smart about what you can and can't do. I will only tell you what really worked for me. For one, i needed to learn to miss only on one side of the fairway - i learned not to slice my driver and only miss on the left when i hit a bad shot, and it usually is not that bad. Second was my short game, getting around the green in two shots and then getting it close to the hole. I have not scolded a chip shot in the last 3 rounds. When i take a practice swing i always tell myself to really hit the ball (to make sure i don't ever de-accelerate) and always down on the ball - anytime i try to get handsy and pick up the ball i end up on the other side.

 

I hope you will reach your goal soon, and again congrats on your progress so far.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the read. Also congrats on the 88.

 

I played 27 holes today. 18 this morning as the third round of a tourney and then 9 this evening.

 

The 18 hole round was a mixed bag.

 

My 4w off the tee was pretty solid. I hit it 240 and 235 on #1 and #7 repectively. I hit it 200+ yards off the tee on 7 of the 12 holes I used it. Those are numbers i'd see with my driver on a good day.

 

I hit my driver twice. On #9 since is a dogleg right and it was a low mishit fade that cleared the corner and was down the middle. I used it again on #16. Let's tell the tale of that hole.

 

#16 is a dogleg right and 358 yards on the card. I've been hitting my 4w pretty solid off the tee but decide to go with my driver. I hit this monster slice over a stand of mature pine trees and into the pond fronting the par 3 15th...I have trouble with the rough and end up in a greenside bunker in 5. I hit my sand shot over the green and it nestles against the base of a small oak. I take an unplayable and chip on and 2 putt for a 10! Sweet, I haven't seen many of these in the last few years :russian_roulette: :fool:

 

 

My irons were a slight adventure. I hit the ball thin and over the first 3 greens. I had some go left on me as well early on but I started to improve later in the round though I still had a few shots go left. My SW into #5 hit the green and spun back a foot. My tee shot on the par 3 13th hit the green and also spun back a foot or two and that was a 7i. On 15 the par 3 with the pond, I hit a high draw with my 6i that hit the green and rolled 6 feet left towards the hole.

 

Time for the tale of #7. It's a par 4 slight dogleg right. I hit a high draw with my 4w over the hill and I'm sitting in the middle of the fairway 235 off the tee. I'm 130 from center and hit my 8i. I hit a mid height draw that lands in the gully frnting the green and the ball rolls up the hill, through the green, up the fringe and into the rough. I have no clue how this happened. it's not like i skulled the ball. So i'm in the rough with a dowhill chip and the green slopes away from me and the flag is near the front. So I chip the ball and it stops inside two feet below the hole for a par.

 

The 9 tonight was a bit better.

 

I used my 4w off the tee on all non par 3s. 200 yard FW, 198 fairway, 186 right rough 6 inches off the FW, 208 fairway. On 16 I'm teeing off into the sun. I hit the ball andcan't see it. I don't hear anything and i thouigh i saw it come down on the right side. I go looking for it and can't find. On 17 I hit it OB but my provisional is 193 in the FW and on 18 it's a weak slice of 126. I think the 4w will be what I use going forward. I can get driver like distance at times and when I do hit it right, it's normally not as bad.

 

My irons were alot better. I only missed 1 green to the left and that was a 6i from the rough that I hit off the toe. On the par 3 13th I hit my 7i straight but low. It lands short of the green runs on and curves left and I end up 11 feet above the hole and sink the birdie putt. My third birdie on this hole this year. I have 4 now this year and that's I think tied or 1 more then last years total.

 

On 18, I'm 179 out on the left side. I hit my 4i and it a high draw that misses right. I wish I GPSed the shot. I'm pretty sure I hit it far enough to hit the middle of the green. My alignment was off. I hit the right side of 17 with my 7i but the flag was left. Again, I hit it right where I was aiming.

 

I shot 7 strokes lower on the back tonight. My irons are coming around. I think I'm starting to adjust to the new lie angles.

 

My shortgame is still the area that needs alot of work. About half my shots in both rounds were either chips or putts. I only chipped on 3 holes tonight but had 20 putts. I'm only bummed by 2 holes. I 3 putted from 12 feet on 10 and from 27 feet on 18. On 18 I left my first putt 12 feet short... My other 3 putt was from 36 feet when I hit #17 on the wrong side. My two putts were from 24, 15, 24, 11, and 14 feet. My only 1 putt was the 11 foot birdie.

 

I keep seeing more good shots but I'm just not stringing them all together. I seem to find a way to throw some really big numbers up to hose my rounds. I just gotta avoid the triple+ bogies.

[bortass]

Golfwrx ate my post from a few hours ago. Maybe it was just as well since the topic was chaffing. It happens sometimes when it's hot and humid out. I read the threads here on it and picked up the UA 6 inch boxer jocks and they are money. I played 9 tonight with no discomfort, whioch is good because i was feeling it after playing 27 yesterday. I highly recommend them.

 

I played 9 after dinner as mentioned above. it was intrigueing.

 

1 - par 4, I mishit my 4w but skipping it off the ground and it's a high ball to the right, 153 in the rough under a pine tree. I punch my 5i and it lands short as expect and almost runs up and on the green. The raised front auses the ball to drift left, so I'm 1 yard or two off the green on ther left front side. I grab my SW and chip to 3 feet. I sink the par putt. :clapping:

 

2 - par 4, I hit a low draw with my 4w that rolls out 195 off the tee on the left side. I'm about 136 out and going uphill, so I hit my 7i. I'm a bit thin, but the ball flight is pretty straight, so I end up long on the left side. The flag was left, so it's not like I missed left from a pull. I have a downhill chip. I take my SW and I get to 2 feet from the hole. I make the par putt with ease.

 

I'm cruising!

 

3 - par 4, I top my 4w 40 yards and it sits down in some clover. So much for me thinking I'm doing great. I decide to hit my 7i since the ball is sitting down and I just want to get it into the fairway. I swing and the ball goes 1 foot... I swing again and I barely get it into the fairway. I layup with my PW just short of the slkope leading down to the stream. I'm now where I should be in 2, at the worst, in 4. I'm 109 out and hit my PW. It's a mishit that lands on the right front. The flag is back left. I have a 44 foot putt and I blow it 21 feet past the hole..... My comeback putt hits the middle of the cup and is too fast. It dips in the hole and hits the back and pops up landing 3 inches behind the cup. So I have an 8. We need a frosty the snowman 'smilie' for these things.

 

So much for my good round.

 

4 - par 3, playing 160 with a stream to carry. I mishit my 5i. It lands short of the stream and hops over, leaving my a 30 yard chip or so. I'm thinking that makes up for the previous hole as i walk to the bridge. I figured that ball was gonna be wet once it left the clubface. I take my SW and chip it to 4 feet and sink the par putt.

 

So I'm now at bogey golf through 4. The three pars cover the 8 and reduce the overall damage.

 

5 - long par 4, I hit a nice draw with my 4w and i'm in the middle of the FW about 189 off the tee. I have 186 to go and hit my 4i from a decent lie. I mishit it and it makes it's way about 110 out. My PW hits near the front left of the green and rolls into the left rough. I chip the ball and it misses the hole by 3 inches and rolls 5 feet past because of the slope. I can save my bogey but I miss high and long. I sink the 2 footer for my double bogey. Not great but respectable.

 

6 - par 3 and about 130. I got with my 8i. I'm aiming at the flag but decide to shift things a bit more right. I hit a high draw 127 onto the green. The flag is left and I'm on the right but almost hole high. I have a 27 foot birdie putt that misses low and stops a foot past the hole. Not a bad putt and I get another par.

 

7 - par 4, this is where I hit my monster drive yesterday morning. This time I hit a pull, 181 under the left pine trees. I have no shot at the green and decide to punch out with my 4i. I make good contact but it takes a line thats more right then I hoped. I find my ball in the right rough under a tree. I'm 74 from center and the flag is on the left and I'm on the right. I hit a punch with my PW that gets under the trees and lands short of the green. It rolls up and on and starts curving left towards the hole. I hit my GPS. I was 84 yards from the hole and my PW punch ended up 3 feet above the hole. Not too bad. I sink another par putt. :clapping:

 

8 - par 4, I hit a low draw with my 4w 200 yards into the middle of the fairway. I'm about 148 out and hit my 7i. I hit it decent but end up short on the right side. Now that I type this, I dunno why i hit that 7i. I've been using my 6i as my 150 club... I hit my first bad chip of the night and it's 15 feet short of the hole. I line up my par putt and leave it three feet short. My second bad putt of the night. I sink the next one for a bogey.

 

9 - par 5, I stick with the 4w instead of hitting my driver and trying to carry the corner. I hit a very nice high fade that gets past the corner, 185 off the tee, and in the middle of ther fairway. I'm 6 feet short of the upper landing area. The ball is below my feet, so the 4w stays in the bag. I'm 260ish from center and decide to punch my 5i. I make good contact and it lands short of the ridge near the 150 marker and bounces over it. I find my ball in the middle and 97 yards from center. That was a good second shot. I'm rarely here in two. I take my GW and it's high but right. My aim is off and it lands in the right side bunker. The green is above me and i kinda short sided myself. I use my SW and i get the ball out and it stops 6 feet above and short of the hole. A real good out for me. I have a 6 foot par putt and i just miss it low. I tap in the 6 incher for a bogey.

 

End result is a 43 with an 8 and two 6s. I have 5 pars in 9 holes. I think this may be a record for me. My PB on this 9 is a 42, which I shot as part of an 18 hole round on the 4th. I have shot a 43 on this 9 in a 18 hole round last year as well. I think this is the first time I've shot a 43 while just playing 9. I definately have never gone this low with a snowman on the card.

 

The cool thing is I felt 0 pressure and it wasn't like I hit alot of great shots. I had misses off the tee and with irons. My chipping and putting kept me in it though. Shocking eh?

 

Overall an awesome round that I hope to build on. This is like when I shot a 44 on the back a few weeks ago. I feel like if I could have played 18, I was gonna crack 90. My game was on. I really think these solid 9 hole rounds will help me in the long run. The more i get used to playing good golf, the more routine it becomes. Par is no longer a big deal because I've gotten enough that I know I can par all but a handful of holes on any given night. The 3 long par 4s are still bogey holes unless I'm able to stick my 3rd shot close to the flag. That's fine though.

[ChipDriver]

Golfwrx ate my post from a few hours ago. Maybe it was just as well since the topic was chaffing. It happens sometimes when it's hot and humid out. I read the threads here on it and picked up the UA 6 inch boxer jocks and they are money. I played 9 tonight with no discomfort, whioch is good because i was feeling it after playing 27 yesterday. I highly recommend them.

 

I played 9 after dinner as mentioned above. it was intrigueing.

 

1 - par 4, I mishit my 4w but skipping it off the ground and it's a high ball to the right, 153 in the rough under a pine tree. I punch my 5i and it lands short as expect and almost runs up and on the green. The raised front auses the ball to drift left, so I'm 1 yard or two off the green on ther left front side. I grab my SW and chip to 3 feet. I sink the par putt. :clapping:

 

2 - par 4, I hit a low draw with my 4w that rolls out 195 off the tee on the left side. I'm about 136 out and going uphill, so I hit my 7i. I'm a bit thin, but the ball flight is pretty straight, so I end up long on the left side. The flag was left, so it's not like I missed left from a pull. I have a downhill chip. I take my SW and I get to 2 feet from the hole. I make the par putt with ease.

 

I'm cruising!

 

3 - par 4, I top my 4w 40 yards and it sits down in some clover. So much for me thinking I'm doing great. I decide to hit my 7i since the ball is sitting down and I just want to get it into the fairway. I swing and the ball goes 1 foot... I swing again and I barely get it into the fairway. I layup with my PW just short of the slkope leading down to the stream. I'm now where I should be in 2, at the worst, in 4. I'm 109 out and hit my PW. It's a mishit that lands on the right front. The flag is back left. I have a 44 foot putt and I blow it 21 feet past the hole..... My comeback putt hits the middle of the cup and is too fast. It dips in the hole and hits the back and pops up landing 3 inches behind the cup. So I have an 8. We need a frosty the snowman 'smilie' for these things.

 

So much for my good round.

 

4 - par 3, playing 160 with a stream to carry. I mishit my 5i. It lands short of the stream and hops over, leaving my a 30 yard chip or so. I'm thinking that makes up for the previous hole as i walk to the bridge. I figured that ball was gonna be wet once it left the clubface. I take my SW and chip it to 4 feet and sink the par putt.

 

So I'm now at bogey golf through 4. The three pars cover the 8 and reduce the overall damage.

 

5 - long par 4, I hit a nice draw with my 4w and i'm in the middle of the FW about 189 off the tee. I have 186 to go and hit my 4i from a decent lie. I mishit it and it makes it's way about 110 out. My PW hits near the front left of the green and rolls into the left rough. I chip the ball and it misses the hole by 3 inches and rolls 5 feet past because of the slope. I can save my bogey but I miss high and long. I sink the 2 footer for my double bogey. Not great but respectable.

 

6 - par 3 and about 130. I got with my 8i. I'm aiming at the flag but decide to shift things a bit more right. I hit a high draw 127 onto the green. The flag is left and I'm on the right but almost hole high. I have a 27 foot birdie putt that misses low and stops a foot past the hole. Not a bad putt and I get another par.

 

7 - par 4, this is where I hit my monster drive yesterday morning. This time I hit a pull, 181 under the left pine trees. I have no shot at the green and decide to punch out with my 4i. I make good contact but it takes a line thats more right then I hoped. I find my ball in the right rough under a tree. I'm 74 from center and the flag is on the left and I'm on the right. I hit a punch with my PW that gets under the trees and lands short of the green. It rolls up and on and starts curving left towards the hole. I hit my GPS. I was 84 yards from the hole and my PW punch ended up 3 feet above the hole. Not too bad. I sink another par putt. :clapping:

 

8 - par 4, I hit a low draw with my 4w 200 yards into the middle of the fairway. I'm about 148 out and hit my 7i. I hit it decent but end up short on the right side. Now that I type this, I dunno why i hit that 7i. I've been using my 6i as my 150 club... I hit my first bad chip of the night and it's 15 feet short of the hole. I line up my par putt and leave it three feet short. My second bad putt of the night. I sink the next one for a bogey.

 

9 - par 5, I stick with the 4w instead of hitting my driver and trying to carry the corner. I hit a very nice high fade that gets past the corner, 185 off the tee, and in the middle of ther fairway. I'm 6 feet short of the upper landing area. The ball is below my feet, so the 4w stays in the bag. I'm 260ish from center and decide to punch my 5i. I make good contact and it lands short of the ridge near the 150 marker and bounces over it. I find my ball in the middle and 97 yards from center. That was a good second shot. I'm rarely here in two. I take my GW and it's high but right. My aim is off and it lands in the right side bunker. The green is above me and i kinda short sided myself. I use my SW and i get the ball out and it stops 6 feet above and short of the hole. A real good out for me. I have a 6 foot par putt and i just miss it low. I tap in the 6 incher for a bogey.

 

End result is a 43 with an 8 and two 6s. I have 5 pars in 9 holes. I think this may be a record for me. My PB on this 9 is a 42, which I shot as part of an 18 hole round on the 4th. I have shot a 43 on this 9 in a 18 hole round last year as well. I think this is the first time I've shot a 43 while just playing 9. I definately have never gone this low with a snowman on the card.

 

The cool thing is I felt 0 pressure and it wasn't like I hit alot of great shots. I had misses off the tee and with irons. My chipping and putting kept me in it though. Shocking eh?

 

Overall an awesome round that I hope to build on. This is like when I shot a 44 on the back a few weeks ago. I feel like if I could have played 18, I was gonna crack 90. My game was on. I really think these solid 9 hole rounds will help me in the long run. The more i get used to playing good golf, the more routine it becomes. Par is no longer a big deal because I've gotten enough that I know I can par all but a handful of holes on any given night. The 3 long par 4s are still bogey holes unless I'm able to stick my 3rd shot close to the flag. That's fine though.

 

You know you could marry your next 9 right? If you shoot lower than 47 on your next 9 you've broken 90. :)

[bortass]

[quote name='ChipDriver' timestamp='1310952430' post='3399685']
You know you could marry your next 9 right? If you shoot lower than 47 on your next 9 you've broken 90.
[/quote]

Yup. My next 9 is tomorrow night with the Mens league but it's the front again. So I may crack that 90 barrier on GHIN when it combines the scores. But I need to do it with an 18 hole score. When I started my 'Quest to break 100' my initial goal was to just shoot under 50 for 9. I almost always just played 9 holes and figured that was good enough. Something change and I don't know what it is but it had to be a 18 hole score. I think it's because I shot a 46 in my third round after starting that thread. Of course my next sub 50 round didn't come for another year, lol. I'm hoping these good 9s which are under 45 are the start of the trend I saw when I broke 100. I started to put 9 hole scores together which were good enough ie under 50. I'd still toss in the 50 - 52 range score, but I was sniffing at the door, so to speak.

[wwjbd24]

shooting a 43 with an 8?! awesome stuff, shows you the meaning of progress!! good luck on that next 9

[bortass]

Played my 9 in the mens league. The same 9 as last night.

1 - par 4, I shank my 4w into the left trees 80 yards out. Awesome start. I punch my 5i and it stays in the left rough. I'm 113 out now and hit my PW. It's a high draw and lands on the right side of the green and the pin is left. I two putt for a 5.

2 - par 4, I hit a high draw with the 4w 206 into the fairway on the right side. I'm 130 out and going uphill, so I hit my 140 club, 7i. It a bit thin and lands short of the green and rolls to the back. I'm on the back right and the flag is more left front. This is a heavily sloped green and I'm 40+ feet away. My birdie putt is 15 feet short. My next is 5 feet past. End result is a 4 putt 6....

3 - par 4, I hit another high draw with the 4w 206 into the left side of the fairway. I'm 140 from center and it's a back pin. I hit my 7i thinking the hill will offset the flag being back. it's a high draw that carries 144, lands on the back of the green and rolls off and over the cart path into the rough. My first chip is short of the green. My next one is inside 3 feet and I get a 5.

So I'm at the same spot I was yesterday at this point.

4 - par 3, about 160. I hit my 5i and it's a low draw that hits a pine tree and drops on my side of the stream. I have 70 yards to the flag and I pitch my SW on the green. 2 putt for bogey.

5 - long par 4, I hit a high fade with the 4w 187 into the right rough. I have some pine trees to deal with and punch my 5i. I hit it solid and it hits a branch and kicks back into the FW behind me. A net -10 yards.... I have a clear shot and go with a full 5i layup. I top it into the right rough. I'm 129 out in the right rough. I take my 8i and the ball comes out dead right and into a pine tree. I punch my 8i and it hits another pine tree or two. Now I'm 60ish yards out and I pitch the ball inside 3 feet and 'save' a 7.

6 - par 3. I have 122 to the front andf it's a forward flag. I decide to hit my 9i, 120 club. It's a high fade that lands just short of the green. It went about 120. I chip on and almost hole out. I have less then 3 feet for par and make it easily.

7 - par 4, I hit a push with my 4w and it catches a pine tree and drops in the FW 161 off the tee. I'm 220+ out. I didn't really pay attention. I'm laying up by punching a 4i. I make solid contact and put my club away. I walk over the hill and see my ball rolling back down the hill leading to the green. My ball came inside a yard or two of being on.... My chip is too agressive and I two putt for a 5.

8 - par 4, I hit a push fade into a pine tree 121 off the tee. It drops in a decent spot. I decide to punch my 5i and it gets me into the right rough 70 yards out. I take my LW and skull the ball onto the 9th teebox. I have a chip to a green below me now and it's porobably 15 yards or so. I land the ball in the fringe and it rolls to 6 feet or so. I just miss the bogey putt and settle for a dbl.

9 - par 5, I shank my 4w again and the ball goes left into some bushes maybe 15 yards infront of me. There's an OB fence there, so even if i find the ball i have no shot. I just take the SD penalty and retee. it's a slice into the woods... Sweet! I find the ball and hit a punch which hits two trees and gets in the FW. I punch my 5i and I'm now 70 yards out in 5. I gotta get up and down for dbl bogey. I pitch my LW and it's a few inches short of the green. I chip to 6 inches and putt out for my 8.

An awesome 49... Except the two shanked 4w and the bladed LW, I felt like I was hitting the ball well. I played ping pong with the trees but I hit the ball solid on those shots and just got unlucky IMO. Maybe I'm delusional but that's how I felt coming off the course.

[bortass]

I took some time off and played 18 today. I feel like Jeklle & Hyde. I was hitting my 4w and getting driver like distances with it a few rounds ago. Today it sucked hardcore. My tee shot was unplayable on 11 holes. Tops that went 50 - 90 yards or a shot that went right and ended up behind trees. So I had 11 recovery shots to just get in position to hit an approach. My average distance off the tee, including par 3s was shorter then my average approach distance, which was 137. Add a pond ball on 15 w/ my 5i and I lost 13 strokes off the tee IMO.

I hit a great 4w off the tee on #7, 228 into the fairway. The funny thing is I topped my ball 80 yards on #1. For the heck of it, I hit another one. It's a draw down the right side 241....

My irons are working out pretty good. I think I only had two real mishits with them. The 5i in the pond and a SW off hardpan that I played wrong. I hit the 5i 174, total, on two holes. They were mid height draws that ran. I hit my 4i into the wind and got decent height out of it and it went 165ish. I'm hitting punches with both the 5i and 4i and executing the shots. I was even able to hit some real low irons a decent ways and keep them under trees. I hit 6 greens with my approach and got up and down on 3 of my misses.

My chipping is either pretty good or bad. I chipped the ball inside 2 feet twice, chipped another 3 inside 6 feet. My other chips ranged from 8 - 42 feet, with a few two chips in the mix.

I could have shot a 87 if the 13 I lost off the tee didn't happen. I don't need to hit them all 200+ yards, just 170ish and in a playable spot. My iron play feels good enough it can work with those tee shots. This keeps up maybe I start hitting a punch with my 5i off the tee. That shot can roll out 170ish yards but I'll get killed on the holes where you tee off into the face of a hill.

[sshadow2]

Sounds like the round I played yesterday. I could have had like an 85. I had an eagle chance that turned bogie after a bad chip, 3 birdie chances (got one), and 4 penalties. ended with a 94. Still my best score but I lost 9 shots from several bad decisions.

[bortass]

[quote name='sshadow2' timestamp='1311107037' post='3405234']
Sounds like the round I played yesterday. I could have had like an 85. I had an eagle chance that turned bogie after a bad chip, 3 birdie chances (got one), and 4 penalties. ended with a 94. Still my best score but I lost 9 shots from several bad decisions.
[/quote]

You're getting there though. I've never had a legit shot at eagle. I think I'd have to hit two of my best shots ever on a shorter par 5 to have an eagle chip. The closest I've come to holing out from the FW is about 3 feet from the hole. I've done it a few times but it's real rare.

I had a lesson yesterday. The video showed I was getting steep with my 4W and with a slight OTT move and the ball being hit off the heel, which explains the shanks. There's some throwaway in the mix too, which explains the tops. We started working on dropping my arms down at the start of my backswing. I started to hit the ball solid again when I did drop my arms. The direction was erractic at times but they weren't weak hits off the heel. No tops either.

I should be able to find the FW again off the tee with decent distance now. So if my iron game holds up and I start getting decent tee shots, I should be in the low 90s with a shot to crack it. I also know a bad hole is not the end of the world after shooting that 43 with an 8. I'm not saying I'm likely to get that many pars to make up for it, but it's possible.

[Xir]

Bortass, this thread has been inspirational. I'm just coming back to golf after years and years of not playing and I'm basically starting all over again. Watching your progress makes me want to leave work early to hit the range. Alas, both my wrists are sprained and I have to wait for them to heal before I can pick a club up again. Regardless, well done so far!

[bortass]

[quote name='Xir' timestamp='1311263138' post='3411122']
Bortass, this thread has been inspirational. I'm just coming back to golf after years and years of not playing and I'm basically starting all over again. Watching your progress makes me want to leave work early to hit the range. Alas, both my wrists are sprained and I have to wait for them to heal before I can pick a club up again. Regardless, well done so far!
[/quote]

I hope you have a quick recovery. All my injuries the last few years have been non golf related for the most part, as in it doesn't hurt when I swing or stop me from playing. I'd go nuts if I was forced to stop playing.

[sshadow2]

[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1311254369' post='3410517']
[quote name='sshadow2' timestamp='1311107037' post='3405234']
Sounds like the round I played yesterday. I could have had like an 85. I had an eagle chance that turned bogie after a bad chip, 3 birdie chances (got one), and 4 penalties. ended with a 94. Still my best score but I lost 9 shots from several bad decisions.
[/quote]

You're getting there though. I've never had a legit shot at eagle. I think I'd have to hit two of my best shots ever on a shorter par 5 to have an eagle chip. The closest I've come to holing out from the FW is about 3 feet from the hole. I've done it a few times but it's real rare.

I had a lesson yesterday. The video showed I was getting steep with my 4W and with a slight OTT move and the ball being hit off the heel, which explains the shanks. There's some throwaway in the mix too, which explains the tops. We started working on dropping my arms down at the start of my backswing. I started to hit the ball solid again when I did drop my arms. The direction was erractic at times but they weren't weak hits off the heel. No tops either.

I should be able to find the FW again off the tee with decent distance now. So if my iron game holds up and I start getting decent tee shots, I should be in the low 90s with a shot to crack it. I also know a bad hole is not the end of the world after shooting that 43 with an 8. I'm not saying I'm likely to get that many pars to make up for it, but it's possible.
[/quote]

I accidentally did something that I was originally opposed to -- I moved up a set of tees. This course has 4 tee boxes but on the first tee, I didn't notice the black tees. I always try to play the middle tees which are gold on my usual course. Here, they are the second most forward tee making the course 5800 yds instead of 6100 yds I usually play (blue at this course).

I realized this on the 4th hole but decided to just stick with it. I wound up having more fun this round than I've ever had before.

[bortass]

[quote name='sshadow2' timestamp='1311273898' post='3411529']
I accidentally did something that I was originally opposed to -- I moved up a set of tees. This course has 4 tee boxes but on the first tee, I didn't notice the black tees. I always try to play the middle tees which are gold on my usual course. Here, they are the second most forward tee making the course 5800 yds instead of 6100 yds I usually play (blue at this course).

I realized this on the 4th hole but decided to just stick with it. I wound up having more fun this round than I've ever had before.
[/quote]

My course has 4 sets right now. Normally there is just three sets. Red, gold, white, and blue. I always play the whites with rare exceptions. My problem with the gold tees is just that they don't have a true tee box on a few holes. It's a pain when you're teeing off from a slope. The reds turn a par 5 into a par 4. I'm sure GHIN would handle it because I'm pretty sure it has USGA ratings for men.

I'll probably move up a set or two again. I played the golds on the front a few weeks ago. It didn't help me any though, lol. It's nice to have different shots then what you always play. There is a hole or two where I'd have to consider teeing off with an iron on a par 4. I can hit my 4w near the end of the fairway, within 15 - 30 yards on a well struck ball and the gold tees are 40 - 50 yards forward. The reds may even force me to mix it up like that.

[Xir]

[quote name='bortass' timestamp='1311273865' post='3411527']
I hope you have a quick recovery. All my injuries the last few years have been non golf related for the most part, as in it doesn't hurt when I swing or stop me from playing. I'd go nuts if I was forced to stop playing.
[/quote]

I just started up again in late June and my poor swing mechanics led to the left wrist getting injured. I played through it the next week but weakened and then sprained the right wrist doing some housework. Let that be a lesson to all, never do housework. I played through the discomfort taking great care to warm up and taking anti-inflammatories for the next two weeks before finally deciding that I could just not play for two weeks or so and let the damn things heal. I'm going to the doc tonight to have him eyeball 'em and make sure nothing serious is wrong. I doubt there is, at this point there's almost no pain in them at all and I'm beginning to suspect what I think is mild pain is actually stiffness. However, I promised not to go back golfing until August, so I'm stuck for the next 11 days or so.

Yeah, don't get injured. It stinks.

[sopel10]

[quote name='sshadow2' timestamp='1311107037' post='3405234']
Sounds like the round I played yesterday. I could have had like an 85. I had an eagle chance that turned bogie after a bad chip, 3 birdie chances (got one), and 4 penalties. ended with a 94. Still my best score but I lost 9 shots from several bad decisions.
[/quote]

i try not to think about eagle/birdie chances. I like to think that a bogey is a good score every time, par is my birdie

shot an 88 again last night, had 0 triple bogeys, 0 penalties (used 1 ball) and 3 putted only twice. Missed too many greens from inside of 150 yards and double bogeyed too many holes on the front 9. had 47 on the front and i noticed i was taking too much off of my driver (really wanted to be in the middle and it was working) and was a little more agressive with it on the back 9 which helped me to be in a better position for the second shot (inside 150 almost everytime) - this lead to a 41 on the back

[bortass]

Played the first time since my lesson last week. It was the 9 hole round for the mens league on the longer back 9.

My 4w off the tee bit the last time I played. Tonight was different.

#10 - 4w off the tee 229 yards, followed by a 4w off the deck that got me to 108 out on this par 5. My PW misses right and I get up and down for par.

# 11 - long par 4, my 4w is 207 down the middle. I'm 210 out and mishit my 4w a little. I pitch on with my LW and weakly 3 putt for a 6.

#12 - 4w is 218 into the middle of the FW. My 8i misses right and I chip on and 3 putt for bogey.

13 - par 3, my 7i is short of the green. I chip on and sink the par putt.

14 - long par 4, my 4w is low and right 183. I punch my 5i and am 30 yards out. I hit my SW on and 2 putt for a 5.

15 - par 3, my 5i is short of the green. Again I chip on and 1 putt for par.

16 - par 4, I shank my 4w 53 yards. I punch my 5i and get to about 117 out. My 9i is thin and long. I chip on and 3 putt for a 7.

17 - par 4, I hit my 4w OB right. My provisional is 198 down the left side. No sign of my first ball. I'm 120 out and hit the green with my 9i.I two putt for a dbl bogey 6. Not bad after a S&D penalty.

18 - par 5, my 4w is a high draw 195 into the fairway. I mishit my 4w and I'm about 179 out. I hit my 4i and I'm left of the green near the front. A chip and two putts later i have a 6.

A 46 with the S&D penalty. My 4w was real solid off the tee. I was seeing distances that are close to my driver. I almost want to see how the driver does but why bother if I can poke a 4w 200 - 225 out there. My irons are pretty good and my shortgame is coming around. A good night IMO.

[bortass]

I've been having issues putting. I was putting very well this spring and it went AWOL on me. I have been missing all my long putts and even short ones. My speed is way off. My putts per hole for my last 20 scores had been about 1.83 back in late May. It's now 1.96. It got so bad i even went back to my old ball in the middle of a round this Saturday. It didn't help at all.

The big change is my routine. I used to get an idea of the break and stand next to my ball and take a few practice strokes while looking at the hole to try to get the speed. I stopped this for some reason earlier this year. I went back to my routine Sunday and my putting got instantly better. I had 27 putts with 17 holes played, I didn't finish a par 3 after losing two tee shots, so I just carded an 8 which is my max based on ESC. I did assume a 2 putt when i entered my round into OOB though. last night i had 14 putts during the 9 hole mens league. All I did was go back to my earlier routine. I started to sink some long putts and my misses, save one, were alot better.

My ballstriking went way south on me though. I was pulling my 4w and my irons. It got so bad I walked off the course when i tried to play an additional 9 Sunday evening. Everything was good Monday and the round I played Thursday. Saturday though was dreadfull as was Sunday.

Luckily it was much improved last night. I spent some time on the range and got a pointer from the pro. I wasn't making a full backswing and was also getting too quick. I had much better tee shots and my iron were better though not perfect. I did hit a great 7i that was a high draw, hit the green and hopped up and back stopping 6 inches behind it's pitchmark. The green was a bit soft and the ball left a real deep pitch mark.

I shot a 48 last night because of two blowups. I hit my tee shot on #3 into the right rough. I'm 150 out and go for it. My 6i was a low pull into the stream. I drop and try to pitch my LW on the green using a different swing then normal. It went 9 feet and into the stream. I ended up with an 8. On the par 3 6th I pull my 8i into a tree on the left and it kicked right in the middle of the FW. I have 60 yards to center and completely mishit my LW pitch using my normal method. My next pitch is almost as bad, so a 6 is the end result. Odd in that i use that pitch with my LW a fair amount and rarely have issues....

I had 6 bogies and a par on the other 7 holes. So I'm feeling good about things.

I'm hoping that the renewed putting and getting some decent ballstriking things will go well. Maybe I'm delusional. I really thought this was going to be easier then it has been.

[bortass]

I had a lesson a few days ago. The video showed my right heel coming up off the ground in my backswing. How does a right handed golfer do that? Easy, you move your weight onto your toes.... We spend the rest of the lesson trying to keep my weight back more and rolling my right foot during the downswing. My low left shots went away. I also stopped hitting the ball fat except when I got too far forward on my toes. That's been playing hell with my low point. It's not perfect by any means but my mishit with my irons is a push or a low straight shot. When I do it correctly it's a baby draw. I spent some time working onit at the range later that day and the next morning.

I played a quick 9 and had issues off the tee on the par 4s and 5. I hit my 4w left and a measly 134 off the tee on 1. On 2 I hit my driver, it was a low baby draw 232 up the middle. This setup a SW into the green and a two putt par on the 3rd hardest hole on the course. I hit driver again on 5 and 9 and both balls went right into bad spots. I did the new swing correctly off the tee on the par 3 6th. it was a baby draw and the ball stopped 6 feet below the flag. I hit the right edge of the hole with my birdie putt and it lipped out, so I settled for a par. I did ok considering I lost 6 strokes off the tee because the ball went behind a tree or roots etc, with a 48.

Today I was able to get in 27 holes. I used my driver quite a bit. I had 5 bad shots with it during the first 18. A push on 1, pull hook on 2, and slices on 8, 16, and 17. I only had 2 bad shots with it on the 9 I played tonight. I hit it 200 - 244 on 11 of my tee shots. I even hit a high cut on the par 5 9th that carried the pine trees on the corner and left me 211 out. I was going for a par 5 in 2 for once in my life. I mishit the ball but was able to get my 3rd shot in the fringe near the hole and got up and down for par.

Keeping that heel down has transformed my driver. It's been a slice machine most of this year. Today I only hit that shot shape 3 out of 20 tee shots with it. So the ball striking is better after that lesson. I'll keep working on it. My putting is a mixed bag. It sucked with the 18 I played earlier but was much better on tonights 9 with 14 putts thanks to a chip in. It has been alot better since I went to my old routine, so I'm hoping that my issues earlier today is an outlier.

[jkumpire]

Bort,

It has been a long time since I posted on your thread,and it is good to see the progress you have made. From what I read skimming the thread, your short game progress is what has made your scores so much better, and that is great to see.

Now, it seems that you need two fixes to get under 90, first is to have confidence in a driver or 3 wood off the tee. The second is hitting your scoring clubs (8 iron and up) closer to the pin. That is just a matter of practice and hitting balls. If you get a chance, sneak out late in the day to your course and find an open hole. Then hit a shag bag of drivers or a shag bag of short irons until you get a good feel for your clubs. this will be much better practice than on a range, and I daresay it won't be long before you will have to find a pithy title for your quest to break 80.

Keep up the good work!

[bortass]

[quote name='jkumpire' timestamp='1312812739' post='3461773']
Bort,

It has been a long time since I posted on your thread,and it is good to see the progress you have made. From what I read skimming the thread, your short game progress is what has made your scores so much better, and that is great to see.

Now, it seems that you need two fixes to get under 90, first is to have confidence in a driver or 3 wood off the tee. The second is hitting your scoring clubs (8 iron and up) closer to the pin. That is just a matter of practice and hitting balls. If you get a chance, sneak out late in the day to your course and find an open hole. Then hit a shag bag of drivers or a shag bag of short irons until you get a good feel for your clubs. this will be much better practice than on a range, and I daresay it won't be long before you will have to find a pithy title for your quest to break 80.

Keep up the good work!
[/quote]

I played 9 on Monday for the mens league and I used driver and 4w off the tee. It was a mixed bag. Some good tee shots some not so good. I managed a chip in birdie on a par 3 that I missed short. I also hit a few nice iron shots. Overall i was happy with how I played. I shot a 47 and never managed any pars. I had the bird, 4 bogies, and 4 doubles. Not awesome but I played 18 the day before with some guys I play volleyball with and I shot one of my worst 18 of the year. Couldn't hit a tee shot or approach.

Tommorow I'm playing in the member member. It's best ball with 90% HCP. My partner is a 3 and plays pretty steady. I'll get about 26 strokes, so I'll be looking for the net birdies etc.

I did hit the range today and it was the first time i swung a club since Monday. I just used my 9i and contact was good. My weight was staying off my toes, so I'm feeling good about things. I plan to go out and play my game tommorow. I'll see how the driver works early on and will be using the 4w if the driver is a no go or the tee boxes don't align with well with using driver.

The breaking 80 thread probably won't happen for years. I'm kinda struggling to break 90. It seems strange since I came close a few times last year and I'm hitting the ball better now. I guess i can take comfort in that most of my scores are sub 100. I'm not quite as wild score wise as last year and I just need to start going low again. My index is trending to an all time low though. Not by much but there's a few months left.

[wwjbd24]

[url="http://www.amazon.com/How-Break-90-Step-Step/dp/0809297833"]http://www.amazon.com/How-Break-90-Step-Step/dp/0809297833[/url]

I'm about half way through this book and wow, informative for sure! it's well worth the $12!

[bortass]

[quote name='wwjbd24' timestamp='1313206991' post='3479810']
[url="http://www.amazon.com/How-Break-90-Step-Step/dp/0809297833"]http://www.amazon.co...p/dp/0809297833[/url]

I'm about half way through this book and wow, informative for sure! it's well worth the $12!
[/quote]


I have a copy of that someplace. I bought it years ago. I wonder where I put it.

We did good in the first round of the member member, 11 under. That should put us in the top 3 going into tommorow. It was an interesting round for me. I either played a hole good or I played it bad. I didn't feel like I played any hole mediocre.

My ball striking was pretty good. I had some issues on a few holes but most of my shots were decent. I can't seem to hit my little LW punch that I use for 60 yard shots anymore. It's thin. I'm also having a hard time with my 4w off the deck and my 5i punch shots. I may be better off with a full swing instead of the punch. I like the punch for layups because it runs out more and I normally mishit it less. That hasn't been the case lately though. /shrug

My chipping blows chunks still. I hope to get some chipping practice in later today. I need it.

[bortass]

A respectable round today. It was the last round in the member member and I was in the last group.

I was solid off the tee with my 4w. I hit it on 13 holes, including a par 3. I hit a push on #3 and on 9, I launched a draw into tree on the left and OB. My provisional was another solid draw down the left that bounced off the OB fence. I have never hit a tee shot into that fence before, even with my driver. I hit driver on 10 and 18. On 10 the club slipped in my hands, so i hit a low shot but it went probably 180ish into the right rough. On 18 it was the push fade but I was aiming way left, so I was just in the rough through the fairway. 18 being a dogleg left, I figure I aim for the corner and a draw sets me up great and a ball that goes right should also land in a good spot.

I also hit the green with my 4w from 200 yards on a par 5. Too bad it was #9 with the OB tee shot. But it gave me a 20 foot putt for bogie.

My irons were very good as well except for par 3s. I hit pulls on two of them and a fat shot on another. The last par 3 I hit my 4w long over the back. It was playing 165ish with a pond carry. I hit two in the pond yetsreday and my partner suggested it.

My putting was off. I missed a few key putts. I also checked out on a couple hole where my partner secured either our birdie or par, and I couldn't improve on it.

The end result is I shot a 95. Not bad IMO since it was a tourney round and we were in second place going into it today, 2 strokes behind the leaders. We played well and closed the gap to 1 stroke for second place. The other team caught fire on the back, so we couldn't make up enough ground. I may have shaved a few strokes if I didn't zone out on some putts but that wouldn't have helped the team any, just my score.

I hit two balls OB, one each day, and shot double bogies on both holes. Things are coming around.

[bortass]

I picked up a Calloway Diablo octane 7W. One of the problems I sometimes have is on par 3s that get into the 170 range. My 4i is my 170 club but I don't always hit it well. The hole that plays that distance is a par 3 with a pond. Sometimes there is another par 3 that can play that yardage but it's just a stream carry, so a bad shot will probably carry the stream but sink into the pond. I have room in my bag and my diablo 4w has been a very good club for me, so I figure it's a good fit.

On a different subject, if you ever have the chance to play with a better player then you, take it! My partner in the tourney was a 3 index. He gave me a pointer about putting from the fringe of our course that has paid off for me. A golfer at that level understands so many variables such as adjusting a shot's distance by gripping down, etc. Take advantage of what they can teach you if you have the chance. I'm hoping Tommy and I can play some more so I can learn some of what he already learned about playing on the course.

Cheers!

[bortass]

It was 64 degrees and raining, so the league was cancelled. I took the opportunity to play 18 in the rain. Also the latest HCP revision came out today and I'm a 26.7 now, which is the lowest I've ever been. I shaved 1.6 strokes off it since the last reveision on 8/1.

1 - par 4. I decider to start out with my 4w and it's a draw too close to the left side 199 into the left rough. It's in the tree line and I have no shot at the green. I take my 6i and chip out into the fairway. I'm about 45 yards out and I hit my SW 6 feet left of the hole and sink the par putt.

2- par 4, uphill and into the wind. I hit my driver and it's a low draw 211 into the fairway. I'm in the left center of the fairway and have 125 to center. I decide to hit my 7i because it's uphill, into the wind, and it's raining.I make good contact and the ball hit the back of the green and rolled off. I chip to 9 feet and two putt for bogey.

3 - par 4 that's a dogleg left with a stream carry. I hit driver and it's another nice draw that goes 217 into the middle of the fairway. I'm 130 out and go with my 8i. The flag is on the right front of the green. I hit a nice high draw that's to the right and coming back to the pin. It lands in the rough almost pin high. I have a real good lie and chip to 1 foot and secure another par.

I'm off to a great start and the rain isn't bothering me.

4 - par 3 with a stream carry. The tees are way back still, so it's about 164 and into the wind. I decide on my new 7w. I hit a nice draw that misses left and stops on the cart path 168 off the tee. I take relief and duff my chip. My next chip rolls 12 feet past the hole and I 2 putt for a 5. Damn my shortgame sucks.

5 - long par 4, The driver has been good to me so far and I hit a high slice 158 into the right rough. I can't go for the green, so I hit a 7i out of the rough into the left side of the fairway. It's a decent draw that puts me 131 out. The green is slightly elevated and theres some wind. I stick with my 8i and come up short of the green. My chip is crap and I end up 24 feet from the hole. I'm putting upslope and I put the ball right in the middle of the cup for my bogey on the hardest hole on the course.

6 - par 3, it's about 130 and i hit my 8i again. The flag is on the left and the green slopes left to right. i hit a high draw down the right side that hits the green and stops a foot from it's pitch mark. I'm 36 feet from the hole and my birdie putt is tracking right at it but is 2 feet short. I sink the par putt.

7 - par 4, dogleg right and the tees are on the right which brings the right trees into play. I go back to my 4w and hit a high push slice over the trees into #8 188 yards. The course is empty and I decide to play down 8. I want to punch a 7i so i have a shot at the green. I mishit it and it leaves me 140ish out with a bad angle. I hit my 7i and it's a high draw but too far right. I'm under some large pine trees to the right and behind the green. I have a clear shot but my ball is sitting on a bare spot with a clump of grass right behind it. My SW hits the clumpo before the ball and my chip only goes a few feet. I chip again to 6 feet and sink the putt to save a double bogey 6. I made a mess of this hole. My strategy was sound, i just didn't execute.

8 - par 4, slight dogleg left. I stay with my 4w and it's a low draw that goes 161 into the fairway. I am about 200 out. There is OB left and trees that close on the green to the right. I hit a mid iron layup that gets me 74 yards out. The green is uphill, so I add some yards and hit a full LW. It hits the green 11 feet past the hole. I look at my putt from both sides and sink it for par.

9 - par 5 dogleg right. My GPS starts to go wonky on me because of the moisture. It randomly turns itself off, every one in a while, through the remainder of the round. Gotta love playing in the rain. I hit my driver and it's a nice push that clears the trees on the right and goes about 153. I know it sounds short but the tee shot is into a hill and that line shaves a good 40+ yards off the hole. I'm 260 out, so I can't reach this in two. I also don't have a good line to hit my 4w. So I hit my 6i and that gets me to 130 out. This is 8i range but the wind is in my face and it's still raining, so I change to my 7i. It's a nice high draw that misses right of the green. The ball is in long wet rough and the green is above me. I did hit it about hole high though. I blade my chip through the green. My next chip gets to 4 feet from the hole. I don't hit my putt hard enough and leave it a few inches short. I end up with a double bogey 7 after setting myself up fine. Bah.

10 - par 5, I hit my driver and it's the push slice about 200 yards into the right rough. I don't have a good shot and advance the ball maybe 40 yards and still don't make it into the fairway. My next shot is a 7i that gets me back into the fairway. It's a back flag and I'm into the wind. The GPS says 150, so I go up a club to my 5i. I hit a great draw that sails over the green completely. I decide to GPS it and I hit my 160 club, 162 into the wind. Bah, I should have stuck with my 6i. I chip to 11 feet and two putt for a 7. Not how I wanted to start the back.

11 - long par 4, I go with 4w and it's a low worm burner that gets about 172 into the fairway. No way I can reach the green but I decide to hit my 4w. It's a very high push slice under the right trees. I have no shot at the green now. I chip with my 7i but I'm a bit heavy and the ball only goes 6 yards into the rough.I'm 61 yards out and hit my SW on. I two putt from 18 feet for another double bogey.

12 - par 4 into the wind. My 4w is a nice draw that goes 188 into the middle of the fairway. I'm 169 out, going uphill, and into the wind. I decide to hit my 7w. it's a low draw that runs up on the green. I'm 32 feet from the hole and my birdie putt dies 1 foot from the cup, right next to it on the high side. i had the perfect speed, I just missed 1 foot right. I have an easy par and that helps offset the double on 11.

13 - par 3, a par here will offset the double on 10. It's about 140 to center and I hit my 7i. it's a high draw that starts right of the flag and tracks right at it. the ball lands short of the hole, near the front of the green and rolls about 2 feet left of it's pitch mark. I'm 21 feet below the hole and leave the birdie putt 3 feet short. I hurry a bit and miss the par putt. Bite me. A bogey, not what I needed.

14 - long par 4. I hit a low 4w that's a draw and it goes 179 into the right side of the fairway and over the ridge. This hole is OB right and hazard left with a fairway that slopes left until you clear the ridge. So it's not a good place to get adventurous off the tee. I'm 240 out and can't reach this green. Also my 4w off the deck has gone OB 3 of the last 4 times I tried to hit it as an approach on this hole. I decide to layup with my 8i. I hit a nice high draw and I'm 112 out now. I hit my PW and miss pin high to the left, I'm a foot off the green, so I chip with my putter. I get it 3 feet from the hole and sink the bogey putt. A 5 on this hole is good since I can't reach it in two.

15 - par 3 with the pond. It's 170 and has played games with me lately. The tee box is soaked and soggy. I find a semi firm spot and chock down on my 7w a little. I was worried i'd sink into the turf and hit it fat. It's a low line drive draw that hits the green and rolls to the left, 170 yard shot. the pin is on the right so i have a 27 foot putt. it's downhill and I send the ball 7 feet past the hole. Another 3 putt bogey. Crap, I can't make up for that double on 10...

16 - par 4 that's a dogleg right. I hit a solid 4w that is a draw that goes 178. I'm on the left of the fairway which gives me the best angle but it's also the longest shot. I'm 169 out. Long is bad, so I decide on my 5i. I'm hoping to just get on the front of the green. The ball is below my feet on a sideslope and the heel of my club catches. So it's low and left. I am short of the green by more then I wanted and the ball is still below my feet leaving an awkward chip. I blade it though the green. The ball is sitting in rough on the back side of the mound that is topped by the green, so i'm three feet below the green and it slopes away from me. My chip misses and ends up 7 feet out and I two putt for a 6.

17 - par 4 with OB right, I hit a popup with my 4w a whopping 143 yards. I'm 185 out and hit my 7w short of the green. I'm in a decent spot to chip and I put it 14 feet above the hole, not good. it's a severe dowslope, so i tap the ball and it stops hole high 1 foot on the low side. I come away with a bogey.

18 - my GPS is real whacked now. it won't stay on, so I keep turning it on after my shots to see what I have for yardages. I hit my driver about 200 yards into the landing area. I hit my 4w that's a low pull and luckily it's been raining, so I don't go in the pond. I'm 94 yards out and hit my SW. It's a front pin and I'm short of the green. I chip to 9 feet and leave my par putt 1 foot short. I get my bogey 6.

End result is a 90. My personal best and it was in the wind and rain. A handfull of mistakes robbed me of the 1 stroke i needed. Oh well, I'm happy with how it went.

[Rohlio]

so close, you will probably shoot several 90's then shoot an 85. Enjoy the journey the destination isn't half as fun

[bortass]

[quote name='Rohlio' timestamp='1313454801' post='3489999']
so close, you will probably shoot several 90's then shoot an 85. Enjoy the journey the destination isn't half as fun
[/quote]

Yup. It was kinda like that when I was trying to get past 100. I had alot of rounds in the area before finally doing it. It is too early to tell if I'm at that point. I shot a 95 in a tourney round yesterday and a 90 today in bad coditions. My ballstriking was pretty solid with a few exceptions. Part of the problem on the back is that it's 300 yards longer and the wind picked up after I made the turn. So that and the rain hurt my tee shot distances. I gotta say I'm real happy with how my wedges up through my 7i behave. I am hitting a high draw and the ball is staying within a few feet of where it hit the green. I know that the rain softened things up alot but still.

It was alot of fun and 0 pressure today. I knew my front 9 was good enough but I didn't add things till the very end. I had that little gauge in my head that knew I wasn't making enough bogies overall on the back. I just kept telling myself that I was doing good even though I knew deep down that it would be real tight. I also think that it helped that I played within myself. I only pressed on one shot and that was the 4w off the deck on #11.

Playing in the member member has helped my game. We were in second, two shots down, after the first round. The format being best ball meant neither one of us needed to play awesome. I felt some nerves on the first tee but I was able to just go out there and play my game. The fact doing that was good enough to almost win and have the next closest team a good 4 strokes behind us is a confidence booster.

The conditions did help me on the greens though. They weren't mown today and were wet, so things were slower.

[bortass]

I had a lesson today on chipping. I have been struggling with this part of my game for a long time. I've read Short Game Bible, Art of the Short Game, Art of Scoring, and watched phil's DVDs a few times. Sometimes I have a good chip. Most times I'll leave myself over 6 feet away from the hole even if I'm chipping from the fringe. My mishits are chunks that go no where or thin that will go way past the hole or through the green. I've been using just my SW to chip ever since I read Art of the Short Game a few years ago.

Today the pro showed me how to hit a running chip. It's the same basic motion that i've been using but the ball is further back in my stance and I used a PW instead. My SW chip flies the ball most of the way to it's target and the greens are soft and slow at my home course. The PW causes it to come out alot lower and roll out alot more. A no brainer really, I've read about techniques that use multiple clubs to chip. Now I know how to hit it.

We did find a few flaws with how I do things. The ball is generally too far forward. I also have the clubface too open. My weight gets a bit messed up, so I'll end up on my toes. He had me hit chips with my left foot raised with just that heel on the ground. My contact got alot better.

We worked on some chips from the rough as well, so i have a few ideas with that one.

Chipping practice is going to be the main area of focus for me to try to get some feel. I think I'll chip 9 - 12 balls to the same hole to see my dispersion patterns and then pick a new spot/hole to use. This should also help with my feel for distances.

It will be nice to have my chipping helping me lower scores instead of increasing them, which is what's been happening. No idea when i'll get there but I have a technique to use and work on which is the key first step.