Never worry about distance on the range. Those balls are shit - some will go further, some much shorter, especially with the driver.
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Never worry about distance on the range. Those balls are shit - some will go further, some much shorter, especially with the driver.
Shot 78 at Coal Creek. 39,39. Didn't make one putt over 6 feet but I probably made 6, 5 footers for par. I probably had 10 putts for birdie under 20 feet, but didn't make a birdie all day. The AP2's Das hooked me up with are really coming around. I've never hit the ball this straight before with my irons. My mind was kind of fucked for the day though, thinking about my friend. Thanks again to those who signed the petition.
We had ProV1's for range balls yesterday, pretty sweet.Quote:
Originally Posted by guroo270
Got out to Colorado National w/ Fritz today. Great architecture but those have to be the shittiest greens in Colorado at the moment. I was hitting the ball great but got too fucking sloppy on the front (our back nine); ended up shooting a 45-49-94. I need to keep my head in the game and stop not giving a fuck by the 16th hole. Seems around 15 or 16 is when I start getting sloppy.
hope survives.
took several days off to rest my back and today i went to a small soccer field around the corner that is 50 yards long and hit half swings with my 56 degree wedge trying to relax and slow everything down. virtually all of them were straight and roughly 70% were nice high shots that were all right around 50 yards. hit some fat and some thin, but even those were straight at least (i know, that doesn't count for much). in any case, the ones i hit well felt so nice and easy it was great.
anyway, i'm going to practice short wedge stuff there everyday and work on putting and irons at the driving range. i'm got a month before i go home so i am going to practice my brains out while i have the chance. may not play on the course as much as i had intended, but i'll get some instruction and some practice in.
i went to the range yesterday and was hitting the snot out of the ball, go out today for 9 after work and played like complete dog shit. so frustrating.
78 at Oakland Metro today. Solid iron play; the rest meh. Following Bill Russell around was awesome. I guess he plays there all the time.
Sorry for the bad picture but didn't want to disturb the man.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...82924761_n.jpg
By the way, great post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski to Be
Consistency with anything takes consistent work. At the range focus on hitting shots, rather than swinging like a batting cage. I like to play name the shot, going so far as to doing it even in the downswing, having your mate yell it out, "fade, draw". Mostly, call the shot is more fun, creating imaginary obstacles to defeat.
I dug my game out of the driving range from the start, and once you develop solid fundamentals, moving to bubba style golf is way better, i.e., hitting shots and playing a shitton of golf. Of course you need to practice the shit out your short game, and putting drills/massive routine is not for pussies.
Got a round of "speed golf" in my future. We can run the course with as many clubs as we want but there is a huge speed bonus. So dragging a whole bag will kill you. I'm thinking 3 clubs. Hybrid, 8 iron or so and putter.
Thoughts?
Four clubs, two in each hand. Good balance is the most overlooked aspect in golf.Quote:
Originally Posted by lionelhutz
Soooo, putter and two clubs? Putter is heaviest. Some much more than others.
I'd take a 3 wood, 7 iron, 56', and a putter. If I had to leave one of those clubs out, I'd leave the putter at home and blade the seven or wedge for putts. But you don't want to be stuck having to hit over or out of a bunker with a hybrid or 7.
I would definitely want a wedge with bounce, because taking three out of a bunker will kill your score and your time. If I could only take five clubs it'd be driver or 3 wood, depending on the course, 5, 9, 56*, and putter. Three clubs seems ridiculous; you're not a geriatric and clubs aren't heavy.
I'd think about the bag and carrying strategy as much as I would about the clubs, with the idea that carrying efficiently is as or more important than carrying light. Get a light little Sunday bag and wrap a bungee or something around the clubs to keep them from bouncing around as you haul ass.
Hybrid, 7, 54*, putter. Or putt with the hybrid if you like to three putt...;)
Is it customary to tip a golf instructor? 3 privates for $165, maybe $20?
yea the more I think about it the more I'd def. like a 54 or 56 degree wedge.
I have a little like bungee strap bag...looks like a quiver for arrows that I can throw them in.
I'd rather keep the putter. I make up a lot of ground with my putter. Prob. 3-4 strokes a round.
It's the strength of my game.
Question for Mags. I have been taking lessons from the same guy for 3 years and my improvements have been marginal. The last 2 sessions he has been trying to change my swing plane and 3 other things at the same time. As a result I am so focused on getting the proper mechanics that I am hitting the ball terrible now. I took my Ipad and filmed the lesson and know what my swing faults are. I am likely going to go with a different instructor. In the past I always did best with instructors that kept it simple and gave me little drills to do. I have a buddy who did Swing Masters where they do computer swing analysis and they rebuilt his swing from scratch. My issue is swinging too hard with my upper body & casting the club. If I slow down everything and allow my hips to turn first and relax my arms I hit the ball nicely. Yet I have to hit 2 buckets of balls to get to that point. My question is do I try the swing analysis or go with an instructor that keeps it simple. I am both handed. I am seriously considering switching to left handed and starting from scratch with a swing built from the ground up with better form. Frankly I can't get rid of the swing reflex and the harder I try to slow down the harder I swing. It is like I am retarded. I have put way too much work to still suck this bad and that is my main frustration.
This probably isn't your problem- Nick Watney's a great golfer and that guy can barely speak.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski to Be
Damn I wish you were in boulder. I'd help you out for free. I've got tips that make it very simple, that I can explain if need be, but I'm so non technical in my approach it's absurd.
My favorite tip, which helped mf a ton was something I picked up from a tv series showing Barry bonds as a hitting coach at ASU. Dropping the hammer. I'd probably have to show you/be there to get the results, but if you do it, there's no way you can help but delay your wrist/not cast. Sure there are setup concerns, swing planes, wrist position, and all sorts of technical shit, but none of that resonates to non engineers, and if anything it gets rid of simple swing thoughts, clouds the mind, and fucks your game.
Get a new coach. One of my four or five lessons ever was from an engineer technician kinda guy, I fixed what he said was wrong, with worse results, and he ended the lesson with, "you must be doing something funky at impact.". I didn't even give him a second chance, and he's the main reason I don't take lessons.
the guy i took lessons from at redtail was nice enough, but i felt like he basically was only telling me enough to ensure i had to keep coming back. i read a lot and understand some of the basic concepts, so i asked a lot of questions, but his manner was such that i felt that he wasn't really trying to fix anything, just teach me something, which would lead to having to teach me something else.
maybe that's how it works, but i never could get any sort of overarching scheme from him to put what we were doing into context. by the end of our four sessions, i didn't really feel like i'd learned much. for instance, he never said any of the things that the guy here has said to me about slowing down or shortening my backswing to maintain control. he let me pound away and basically told me to quit moving my head so much. i got more from the 45 minutes here than i did in 4 hours from the guy at home.
i was out hitting my 56* wedge again this morning with a nice, slow, shortened swing and it felt great.
3 years of lessons with the same guy and no marked improvement is a problem. Did he have you on plane in the first year or two and your reverted, or are you just now tweaking? You need somebody with a fresh look I bet. Let me know if you want a recommendation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski to Be
In all fairness with the weather here in Seattle I only play about six months a year and do maybe 12 lessons a year. He just now started to change my swing plane which is frustrating because he could get me hitting the ball well at the end of each lesson but I could never get it to stick. I just don't know if I want to do the simulator computer lessons thing because my mind is already bogged down as it is and I just want to have fun.
Someone in the Seattle area? If so yes ? At this stage I am open to any suggestions.Quote:
Originally Posted by commonlaw
Yes, I can very much vouch for a good friend of mine who is a pro in the area and he would likely travel to where you like to hit. I'll PM you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski to Be
I've seen your swing. It ain't that bad. The problem is 80% between your ears. In August we'll knock the ball around at Cascade and I'll help you get your head straight. More fun playing golf than playing "Golf Swing".
I fail to see how working on your swing plane will help you with getting rid of a casting movement. You can cast the club from any kind of position at the top. Your first worry should be getting the club through the impact area with the handle leading. Whether you use a timing mechanism or a hold-off move, I would dial your release first and then try to work on your swing plane. Take this advice with a grain of salt as it's just my 5-handicap former flip release to hold-offer's opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski to Be
we'll see what happens tomorrow when i go to the range, but i've hit 60 balls twice today with the 56* wedge and the majority of them were nice, high shots preceded by slow, easy swings. i'm eliminating my slouch, standing a little further from the ball, adjusted my grip and loosened it a bit and it feels great. i was supposed to be practicing all this with my 6 iron, but there's no room here for that, so we'll see if any of what i've been doing translates.
Wooley your advice about swinging a broom handle to help with my tempo seems to be sage advise. That is the kind of drill that my instructor never gave me. I also think I need to change ranges. Every other time I hit at this particular range or take a lesson. My worst OCD pain in the ass retired client is at the range wants to complain or talk about doing extra work (not included in the contract) to his yard ( I own a lawn maintenance company). It doesn't exactly well up positive relaxed feelings for me.
To be clear. It is a whole broom you are to be swinging to feel that the swing is starting with the feet.
And yes, I got trounced in a very important match over the weekend because my opponent took me away from a relaxed, natural state. The inside of the head is the most important part of the golf swing.
Yes exactly. Don't know why I typed broom handle. The broom is a bit long but it is good for me to build that muscle memory. Thanks
Can you guys explain this broom drill you are talking about, or quote the original post? I have gone back a few pages and can't find it...
How far are you from Portland? Jason Owens is highly recommended.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ski to Be
Take a regular broom and swing it like a golf club. The weight and wind resistance will require you to initiate the down swing by using the muscles of your feet and legs and torso. Impossible to swing too fast. A tempo finder.Quote:
Originally Posted by JaytaeMoney
http://images.mylot.com/userImages/i...os/2555784.jpg
83 with 6 penalty shots today and lots of missed putts. Tired swing.
how can you be accurate enough to shoot 83 and have 6 penalty shots and a lot of missed putts? 77 with a lot of missed putts?Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic
I think 4matic is the guy who plays the really tight bay links course, OB or tight fairways leading to hazard is up your ass often.Quote:
Originally Posted by spook
Links golf is the hardest golf. I am so fortunate to live in a place with some of the best inland links anywhere. In colorado we have some cheap links courses too. Learning how to play links golf, hitting the bump and run, wicked slope on greens, wicked slope on fairways, tee boxes with slope, can be a lifelong challenge.
Country club golf, bomb and gouge golf, perfect lies everywhere, perfect tee boxes,, is another animal with a whole other set of variables.
The US Open this week will be absolute carnage, except a very select few who bring some serious putting and accuracy off the tee. Moving day might be the most carnage ever seen because of the set up at Olympic and its blend of links and tight treelined. Holy carnage batman.
A lost ball is a basically a two shot penalty (stroke and distance)Quote:
Originally Posted by spook
Missed two birdie putts inside 6 feet and still had one birdie. 40 on the front with two penalty shots. 43 on the back with four penalty shots and horrific putting. My tee to green game has always been solid and I've been as low as 0.3 ghin (5.2 now).
Edit: To DB point. The course I play is links style, not extremely tight, but very windy. Any shot not controlled in the wind is trouble and it is very hard to get the ball close to the flags. I like the precise nature of this style golf but it's humbling.
how did you end up with so many penalty strokes? just seems like a lot for someone who can shoot that low, disregarding the putting issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic
Three lost balls. Shots offline at many holes on my course are gone or not worth finding because they are impossible to hit.Quote:
Originally Posted by spook
You know, I take that back. One of the lost balls was a lateral but I played it as a lost ball and took the provisional stroke penalty. The other two were lost balls.
1 birdie, 8 pars, 6 bogeys, 3 double bogeys = 83
Just did an amazing 2 day school with 6 buddies at Old Greenwood Academy in Truckee. It was an amazing 2 days...they simplify the game dramatically. I have to groove a minor adjustment, but I know exactly what to work on, and I have about 4 new tools in my short game and putting (completely new stroke), and my driver is optimized too.
Keith and Rich aren't the guys that tell you 100 things to improve...they are about eliminating variables that create inconsistency.
Facilities are amazing...first class setup.
http://www.golfintahoe.com/Default.a...d=256169&vnf=1
okay. sorry. it's late and i'm a little slow on the uptake. 3 lost balls sounds a lot different to me than 6 penalty strokes, but i see what you're saying now.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic