Love Golf?

[betarhoalphadelta]

The best advice I've heard about taking the swing from the practice range to the course (which I'm prone to ignore, BTW) is to treat the range more like the course. Line up your shot, take your customary one or two practice swings, waggle (if that's what you do) then make it count.

Yeah, I've been trying to also vary clubs from shot to shot. I read that one of the best things is to envision playing like you're on a course.

So instead of hitting 10 balls with your 7 iron, tee up one with the driver, then maybe a mid-iron approach shot, followed by a wedge shot. If you take 5-10 shots with the same club, it's perfectly normal that after you've hit one or two your next few will be good shots, but that's not the way you play on the course. You have to get used to your first shot mattering.

 

[passedpawn]

Yeah, I've been trying to also vary clubs from shot to shot. I read that one of the best things is to envision playing like you're on a course.

So instead of hitting 10 balls with your 7 iron, tee up one with the driver, then maybe a mid-iron approach shot, followed by a wedge shot. If you take 5-10 shots with the same club, it's perfectly normal that after you've hit one or two your next few will be good shots, but that's not the way you play on the course. You have to get used to your first shot mattering.

There's a guy at my driving range that hits 18 holes at the range: he drives, then moves to the chipping range, then moves to the putting area and putts twice. Does that 18 times.

I'm heading out in 15 minutes to hit a round. I've been playing all summer and drowning out there. Thankfully, weather is getting a tad cooler now.

 

[passedpawn]

Back already. We finished 18 in 2:40. Went to store and picked up some cold ones (I don't drink while golfing), back home chillin. I was under 100, so I'm happy

 

[HoppyDaze]

Why does it seem like the more I practice, the worse I get?

Given that I'm coming off the 5 year layoff, one of the things that's been bothering me lately is inconsistent contact with the ball. So I had two good range sessions this week where I focused completely on my setup and address, to make sure that I'm consistently setting up with the ball in the same position, with my weight balanced equally between the balls of my feet and my heels, consistent back angle, arm angle, etc. I think I was trying to set up with the ball too far away, and a little off balance trying to reach for it.

And it worked... On the range. Which isn't to say that every shot was good, but the horrible mishits (blading the ball, completely chunking it) weren't happening, even with the longer irons. My longer irons were starting to get the loft they should, which has always been a problem because I was previously usually hitting too low on the clubface. And I was actually making pretty consistent contact with the driver, which has, quite frankly, been a while!

So I tried to go out onto the little executive course this morning before work to see if I could apply it on the course. In 9 holes I literally did not properly strike a single tee shot. A few weren't horrible, but still were not properly struck. And this is a course where 7 of 9 holes are PW/SW/60° holes for me off the tee, so it's not like I was hitting long irons. I only hit 2 GIR, one of which was a bad SW mishit that just happened to work out perfectly, and the other was a 200 yd par 4 where I got a off center but not horrific swipe at it with a 5 iron from the tee so I left myself a short pitch from there, not a full shot.

It’s very likely you’re practicing bad habits. Invest in a lesson or two.

 

[applescrap]

Back already. We finished 18 in 2:40. Went to store and picked up some cold ones (I don't drink while golfing), back home chillin. I was under 100, so I'm happy

Might as well drink then
but no seriously get super drunk and play, it's a lesson. Happens in every karate movie, they learn and then get drunk and have to use what they learned drunk. I am being a little facetious but, do think there is some good in that lesson.

 

[passedpawn]

Might as well drink then
but no seriously get super drunk and play, it's a lesson. Happens in every karate movie, they learn and then get drunk and have to use what they learned drunk. I am being a little facetious but, do think there is some good in that lesson.

Haha ok I’ll try it.

 

[applescrap]

Dr. Bob in golf is not a game of perfect, the number one sports psychology book of all time, theorizes that the golf swing learning has supplanted golf playing. He asks a group of pros if they know the swing better than when they were 18, almost all raise their hands. Then he asks, who is more confident then when they were 18 piping a drive down the middle of a tight fairway during a money match, and the response was much different.


Ranger rick is here anyone need a swing tip. I'll joke with my friends. I can hit every shot, low cut, high draw. I pepper every target right down to the 275 sign. The longest walk in golf, to the 1st tee, and top the ball on the first tee. You ask the best question. I went years hitting close to 500 balls a day, I still carry tape from protecting my bloody fingers. And often it just made me worse, now I had even more expectations. I get in my own way. I start to overthink swing movements instead of target focus. A little shape here that helped me on the range gets over exaggerated and fails on course. The answer lies in how we practice, only one chance on course and our golf psychology.


You are getting better and so did I, but it took me a while to realize and it was slow. Always makes me angry, I know people who threw themselves into weightlifting and they are huge. Running and they are skinny. I threw myself into golf and what do I get? A ruined back and an 78 here and there. I shouldnt have been to cheap and should have been working with a pro this whole time. At the end of the day their is a price to pay to play this game well and lessons like this are just one of them. When I am in a good mood, relaxed and by myself I can shoot a couple over per 9, opposite of that, or when I am "trying" I could be 7 strokes more. A lot of people are kidding themselves though and their swing wont ever work, and or they dont play or practice enough and yet want better results. Mastering all these things are the key to better golf, first tee gitters are in the same vein. I used to have those, now I like showing off, which leads to similar results. Read golf is not a game of perfect.

 

[passedpawn]

Man do I have the 1st tee yips. Yesterday was awesome tho, blistered a drive straight as an arrow through the narrow fairway. I was playing alone and walking, so the single behind me carted past me to start on the #2 tee - prolly thought I’d play slow. Anyway he saw the drive and congratted as he went past. I put a 4i right onto the fringe next shot, and parred the hole, then pushed him the rest of the front 9

but anyway, that’s a fluke. I usually collapse on that 1st hole.

 

[passedpawn]

My trusty steed there, waiting for me on the #2 tee box yesterday. The green isn't really visible, just beyond and left of those trees along the left there (you can see the right edge of it, slightly elevated). It's reachable from drive, but risky. I hit an iron to the front of it and use my semi-trusty 52 lob to drop it in the middle of the green. Well, that's the plan anyway.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yeah, the first time I pulled out my driver on a course since getting back into it was playing with my buddies. It was about the 4th hole and a long par 4, and the fairway was pretty open and free of hazards, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Took a nice easy swing, and put it straight down the middle of the fairway. Using my GPS watch's "measure shot" feature I walked it off and it was a nice 245 yards out there...

...every other swing with the driver was terrible. The best of the rest was a 200 yard shot that would have been a worm burner if it weren't for the tee being elevated. One of those "I hit it poorly but it worked" shots. The others were a big high slice into trees, and a complete and total topped shank that didn't go more than about 50 yards. That's what happens when you start having expectations.

 

[Kee]

. . . I shouldnt have been to cheap and should have been working with a pro this whole time.

I don't know how much it costs to get a lesson with 3-D imaging, but I love watching these videos.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I shouldnt have been to cheap and should have been working with a pro this whole time.

I think picking a pro is as important as anything else, as might be evidenced by the video @Kee just posted.

Back before my long layoff, my now ex-wife had gotten me some golf lessons because I was playing. So I go to this guy, who I did not research, whose golf philosophies I had no knowledge of, and realized he was a Moe Norman cultist. I went along with it and was hitting the ball okay, and then after the lessons fell back into my normal swing.

It was one of those types who didn't really look at a student and say "how can I make him improve with a swing that fits him?", but just wanted me to swing like Moe Norman.

 

[applescrap]

My trusty steed there, waiting for me on the #2 tee box yesterday. The green isn't really visible, just beyond and left of those trees along the left there (you can see the right edge of it, slightly elevated). It's reachable from drive, but risky. I hit an iron to the front of it and use my semi-trusty 52 lob to drop it in the middle of the green. Well, that's the plan anyway.
View attachment 704050

Pretty. ugh its 12 degrees here.

 

[applescrap]

I think picking a pro is as important as anything else, as might be evidenced by the video @Kee just posted.

Back before my long layoff, my now ex-wife had gotten me some golf lessons because I was playing. So I go to this guy, who I did not research, whose golf philosophies I had no knowledge of, and realized he was a Moe Norman cultist. I went along with it and was hitting the ball okay, and then after the lessons fell back into my normal swing.

It was one of those types who didn't really look at a student and say "how can I make him improve with a swing that fits him?", but just wanted me to swing like Moe Norman.

Yeah my last pro was a hack and I effed up going to him. I was sold, like a bad used car salesman, I think he could help people and he could of helped me at the right moment but I just needed to make more birdies. I was playing great. We quickly dabbled in my swing and I spent a year recovering.

Man a word about driver. I have been really struggling, which I have documented, and it started with that epic flash. I am going to try to adjust the weights, but I have been down on myself and playing poorly and so I put old driver in bag.

Well, just didnt tell share yet, but played good two weeks ago. Hadn't played in two or three before it as well. Birdied 3 times on front in decent pressure match with some players. Anyways I was surprised at the difference between hitting good drives and poor. The game is so much easier driving well.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Question. Is it a Christmas faux pas to give a 13 year old a set of used gold clubs bought off Craigslist?

I found a full set including 3 wood, 4-PW matched irons, SW/LW, putter and bag for $90. Graphite shafts, so they're light enough for a young teen to swing.

I figure that should be pretty exciting for him even though they're not brand new, yeah.

 

[doug293cz]

I think a good set of used clubs is fine for a beginner. You don't know if they are going to catch the bug or not. If they turn out to love golf, then you can up the value of any future gifts.

Brew on

 

[passedpawn]

Question. Is it a Christmas faux pas to give a 13 year old a set of used gold clubs bought off Craigslist?

I found a full set including 3 wood, 4-PW matched irons, SW/LW, putter and bag for $90. Graphite shafts, so they're light enough for a young teen to swing.

I figure that should be pretty exciting for him even though they're not brand new, yeah.

To me it’s a-ok

 

[Novacor]

8:30 tee time in November wearing short sleeves? I'll take it.

 

[TheDudeLebowski]

I'm with ya. Actually suppose to get close to 80 here today. Last week 6" of snow and temps in the teens.

 

[Dog House Brew]

1st time reading through this thread. I’ve found what causes poor golf is between the ears. The range is only for warm up. (Great place in build crap into the game) What ever shot shape I’m trending on, I use it until it straightens out. Usually that is hole number 3 for me. If you are sore when you finish, you’re doing it wrong. The swing is about relaxing and zero tension. There is a reason the pros can range, play, and range again. It took me years to figure it out. I play 6-8 rounds a year now. I shoot the same now than I did when I beat myself up every week. I played a guy in a local invitational. Saw him on the range warming up. It was the most F’d up swing I’ve ever seen. That dude skinned me and flattened my wallet. There is no perfect swing other than your swing. Too many get caught up in this arm straight, toe slightly set at the top, and buckle at the target finish. I played religiously with our pro. Great friend and fun as hell. He couldn’t adapt advise for an individual. At that time is when I went on a lone. It is fun to go to the course now. Drink a few or several. I’m no longer stressed at being 3 over at the turn, swelling to 80 on the back. The obsession can take you over. I never could work my way into that 2-3 hcp. I do think fitted clubs are a must, especially when you can actually control the ball. Once I had forged irons, it blew me away. Happy playing! Only sport you can play for your entire life.

 

[Kee]

I’ve found what causes poor golf is between the ears. . . . There is no perfect swing other than your swing. Too many get caught up in this arm straight, toe slightly set at the top, and buckle at the target finish. . . . It is fun to go to the course now. . . The obsession can take you over. . .

I'm taking up the game again after a hiatus of between one and two decades (depending on how you count it) and hope to maintain that more relaxed attitude, I certainly won't be playing as often as I used to. But half the fun, for me, was always seeking a "grooved" swing. I don't disagree about the "between the ears" stuff being huge. When I practice (usually with plastic balls in my backyard, but maybe once a week at the range), probably 80% of my effort is spent on finding where to place my attention during the swing.

I do think that proper fundamentals, or mechanics are important for consistency, or, at the very least, make consistency easier. Problems arise, as you suggest, when what will work is too narrowly interpreted. The good news is, nowadays, from the comfort of my home, I can watch youtube videos from Athletics Motion Golf (I'm fascinated by these guys, and 3D technology) that show and explain, in simple terms, the essentials of the swing.

Easy for me to say. I haven't teed it up on the course yet, but I expect to in the next couple of weeks.

 

[passedpawn]

I've been playing a LOT (4 times last week ). With the clock change, I get started working earlier in the day, which then gets me out of the house around 3 to hit the links (I don't make tee time, just walk in and play). I walk alone most of the time, so I can rip through the course. If there is a slow group in front of me, sometimes I just leapfrog them. And if the sunset catches up to me, I just walk off the course.

I'm relearning to swing the clubs these days. I've started focusing on leading with my hips which gives me SOOOO much more distance. Can't believe it really, having to re-think which club to use.

Great weather for golf these days!

 

[Dog House Brew]

I used to spend so much time in the wrong places. Almost never spent time on the putting green. I had a putter come apart on me in the final round of my Club Championship. It was a McGregor by Bobby Grace actually. I sent a complaint to MG. He called me directly, almost hung up on him calling BS. He sent me a tour issue of that model. It was then when I realized where my strokes were. I started focusing on my putting. It made the most difference in my game ever. While talking to him it was about fitting the putter to your natural stroke. Open closed or straight back and through. Face balanced and all these terms I’ve never heard of. I’ll never use another brand! There are so many aspects to the game. That is what makes it so awesome. I always played my best by myself too. It helped me to control the anxiety when playing in tournaments. Played better because I was relaxed. I’m amazed when I watch the tour players. I played once with a touring pro. He played from my tees and didn’t 2 putt until 16. That was only because he got a bad bounce. I could feel the impact through the ground when he hit his irons. Hard not to love the game if golf, at any level of play. Now I feel like hitting the course. Beautiful here today with 80 forecasted.

 

[Bill"sDamnBrewing]

Love golf. I am a member and a home owner at The Currituck Club in Corolla NC. I live here during the winter months and do not stop golfing. Our home is rented out during the summer season and renters enjoy a 60% discount just for staying at our house. If anyone is in the area from November 20 thru March 5, shoot me a message and I will shoot a round of golf with you on a beautiful course for about 20 bucks, if they charge you at all. 13 handicap, so I’m not great, but pretty good.

 

[Bill"sDamnBrewing]

Even though I wasn't a "golfer", this has always been my philosophy. It never made since to me that most people would go to the range and just hit the driver over and over. You hit a driver, say, 12 times a round? Why then is that the club you choose to practice the most?!?! I am not a driver. I have a hard time getting off the tee box, but from 130 yds in, I'm money. So if I can lay a decent shot 170-200 off the tee box, and keep it in the fairway, I can play my irons in. And my putts greatly improved when I switched to a Taylormade Spider. Huge difference in keeping the ball straight.

Wedge 30% (sand 10%, loft 10%, gap 10%)
7 iron 30%
4 iron 10%
3 Wood 20%
Driver 10%
Putt for 30 minutes
That’s my warm up.

 

[passedpawn]

I switched putters a few years ago and suddenly putting is the best part of my game. Might have been the putter, might have been my ultra slow backswing that I began about that time. Not sure, but I never sweat it once I’m on the green.

It’s true that half your strokes on scratch golf are putts. Half, with one club. Best to master that one.

 

[Kee]

I switched putters a few years ago and suddenly putting is the best part of my game. Might have been the putter, might have been my ultra slow backswing that I began about that time. Not sure, but I never sweat it once I’m on the green.

It’s true that half your strokes on scratch golf are putts. Half, with one club. Best to master that one.

Like the pros say, drive for show, putt for dough.

 

[passedpawn]

Like the pros say, drive for show, putt for dough.

haha never heard that before.

 

[passedpawn]

Like the pros say, drive for show, putt for dough.

Have you seen the word on Bryson DeChambeau? He's been on fire lately, but he's intending to make waves by mastering a 48" driver and going for long drive distances (e.g, > 400y). Not useful on most holes, but a difference-maker in the tournements. Augusta has been worried about their par 5 13th forever, and less woody courses will get murdered by a guy that can drive that far.

https://golf.com/news/bryson-dechambeau-jaw-dropping-round-augusta/

 

[Kee]

Have you seen the word on Bryson DeChambeau? He's been on fire lately, but he's intending to make waves by mastering a 48" driver and going for long drive distances (e.g, > 400y). Not useful on most holes, but a difference-maker in the tournements. Augusta has been worried about their par 5 13th forever, and less woody courses will get murdered by a guy that can drive that far.

https://golf.com/news/bryson-dechambeau-jaw-dropping-round-augusta/

I had not seen the Masters write-up, but read about how well his strategy worked at the US Open, where he just pounded the course into submission. From memory, he averaged something like 325 off the tee. It should be interesting to watch him turn Augusta National's par 5s into par 4s.

EDIT: Fun little video of Bryson showing Nick Faldo how he "takes a little off" a club. Important for a guy that hits his 9 iron over 170 yards.