The TourSpoon Blog

[TourSpoon]

This week on the way to work I stopped at one of the public courses that I pass that has an excellent chipping and pitching area.  I worked with the 48, 54, and 60. I played the low hinge and hold from the back/middle of my stance, the hinge and hold cut (slightly open face) from further up in the stance, and finally from the front, a flop type slight hinge and hold that gets the ball up and out. My pro showed me this shot a while ago and you really cut across the line to hit the ball really high, but it has less wrist action than a traditional flop.  I was able to hit my 48 high and penetrating carrying it about 50 feet and stopping it within a few feet. I had similar results with the 54 and hit a couple of really short, but high 60s. It's a really cool shot to have. As I hit about 150-200 shots each time, I was getting really adept at creating all kinds of chips/pitches with many different trajectories, carries, and rolls. I am hoping that this will pay off in more u/ds, especially going 1/6 last week in scrambling.  My go to is the second shot which seems more intuitive to hit and has a medium trajectory with predictable action and spin.

I also worked on putting.  I held my right elbow in closer and this allowed me to take the putter back inside and then down the line.I also tried suspending it before the move because I felt like by starting on the ground I was picking it up forcing it outside the line. I made the first 8 three footers in a row, then made the next ten. I lagged from different lengths and finished with 6 footers making 3/5 for two cycles and then 5/5 to end the session. I am going to go with this for the next round and see if I can get my overall putts down.

[TourSpoon]

Saturday's adventure started with a solid par on the opening par 5 with a drive that landed in the right bunker, a 7 iron lay-up, a cut pw pin high from 120 and a birdie effort from 20 feet that left an easy tap in. From there I learned some valuable lessons. 1). Finish your swing on opening tee shots, 2). Pick a lower lofted club than a 60 when you are on hardpan with a wide open green with no trouble in front. 3). Don't assume that the greens are the same speed as the putting green especially if everything you can see is telling you the green you are on is slower. 4). Hit your 230 yard hybrid like it's an iron. 5). Accelerate in the bunker. Points 1-3 happened on hole 2 with a drive in the tree, a punch shot to 55 yards, a bladed 60 over the green, a fluffy chip, a downhill putt left 12 feet short, and 2 more putts for a triple. On hole 3 I bladed a wedge from the front fringe to the back and took three for a double. For hole 7, after a great par on 6, I hit my 2h pin high from 230 just a mere 60 yards right into an area that drew a sandy lie. That wedge went into the bunker and a decel got me to the fringe only to chip and 2 putt for my 3rd big number. I finished the nine with a 45 and went on the back side to shoot a cool 39 with a missed 6 footer for birdie. The back was solid and I got up and down, finished my swing, hit most of the fairways, and was solid. The hole that set the tone was 10 where I hooked a drive under a tree, advanced with a restricted swing to 125, and put a pw to 12 feet and made the putt. Every iron shot was crisp and aside from a 3 putt (from the bottom tier through the fringe, back onto the green up the ridge and back down) it was a solid back nine with some real golf shots that made the day somewhat positive.

[TourSpoon]

If I have learned one thing this year is that golf is hard.  The second thing would be you need to be able to putt.  I played three times in the last four days at Palm Beach National and scored 80, 80, 79.  Everyday was a new adventure and I am trying to keep it all in the now.  My goal of breaking into the 4s, is so close, yet it seems so far.  At this point, I feel that I am one or two shots away from making it.  I looked at my stats and can see that I am very consistent.  My current handicap is 5.2 and the anticap is 9.4 which shows how my worst rounds average. I am happy about the progress and will continue to get it down and make my goal.

My home course is a Joe Lee design and I am starting to appreciate the difficulty of this layout.  The treachery abounds, but it is fair.  Then you get to the greens.  They are what makes this course so hard to score on.  I can really appreciate how well Rory has putted in the Masters without a three putt so far.  That just blows me away.  If there is anything that will get me to the next level it will be the putting.

[CdnRiderFan1]

Thx for doing this blog!

For hackers like me it is really educational to follow your progress, and learn what works and what doesn't in your efforts to improve.

I think I will keep better stats this year, and also try to document my own rounds to establish an official handicap index and then try to improve it, so that I can look back on my experience and try to improve my game.

Cdn Hacker...

[TourSpoon]

Thanks for the positive comments! Yesterday I met a friend at the range after work and shot some video on my IPhone. Looking at it afterwards from the side view I see some things that need to be tightened up. I have a little sway going on that I will fix and then saw an impact issue that is creeping in. It shows a slight breakdown right at impact that in most cases I can get away with. I will be doing the hockey stick split hand drill to get the correct position back. It is not severe, but it deserves my attention. The last thing I noticed was that my ball position was creeping up which is easy to fix. The iPhone is coming in handy. On the putting green I have been noticing a path issue of starting outside the line. A quick stance adjustment standing away from the ball allowed me to get back to the inside down the line move. I made 22 3 footers in a row and this morning I made 20. I have been experimenting with the alignment line on the ball trying to get it to roll true. I plan on using it the next few times when I play. Like I said before, my putting will be the key for me to take it to the next level. Right now, it is one more fairway, one more gir, one more u/d, and one more putt. So close!

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

Thanks for the positive comments!

Regular reader here too!

Thank you particularly for introducing me to the concept of the anticap. Just did the math on mine and looks like right now I'm a 5.8 handicap (we round up to whole numbers for official purposes) with an anticap of 8.5. I like the symmetry!

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Regular reader here too!

Thank you particularly for introducing me to the concept of the anticap. Just did the math on mine and looks like right now I'm a 5.8 handicap (we round up to whole numbers for official purposes) with an anticap of 8.5. I like the symmetry!

Thanks Stretch!  I appreciate the acknowledgement.  We seem to be very close in ability so I am sure you can relate to my journey.  Your anticap is tight at 8.5 and just shows how consistent you are with it only being 2.7 off of your handicap.

For the benefit of those who have a handicap you know that your best 10 figure your handicap, while your worst ten is your anticap.  The closer they are together is an indicator of your consistency which should be tighter the lower your handicap is.

[TourSpoon]

Today, I started with a drive into the bunker, a downhill lie sitting down that I advanced out about 75 yards and then a 172 yard 6 iron to 11 feet and draino, bird. Par, par, then pulled a drive and with the ball above my feet I skanked it and left myself 65 yards on a bare lie.  I geared down to a lower loft and still thinned it over the green and a double. Par then drive into water, u/p for bogey.  On the par 5 I was in the bunker in 2, then blasted to 10 feet -birdie.  Hit a poor shot long side on the par 3 8th and got up and down from about 30 yards, and then another Par for 37.

Par, par, par with some lip outs, one from 6 feet, birdie from 30 feet, par, par.  Now on 16 I am feeling the pressure and into the wind try to hit a cheater (haven't hit this all day) and end up right just 2 feet in bounds.  I have a shot if I hit it along the OB and draw it over a tree.  I club down and hit it straight OB.  I go down one and hit it 5 yards short and get u/d for 6.  On 17, from the fairway I have 140 into the wind and instead of being aggressive I baby an 8 (in mid swing) with a push with a severe short side on another bare lie.  I try to bump it into the bank and miss and get down in 2 putts from 30 feet for a bogey.  On 18, I have a sucker pin front and 135 directly into a stiff wind.  I pick 8 again and this time I tug it left and short side myself.  I lip out from 8 feet for bogey. I think I am at 78, but the card says 37-39 for a smooth 76.  It was a great round, even though I felt myself panic a little on the last 3 holes.  Three birds, 29 putts and 3 penalty shots later, it was a 76 (3.9).

I did hit some really good shots and made some key putts to get there so I am happy about that. I played the 3 par 5s at 2 under and the 3 par 3s at even. I changed my pre-shot routine to a practice swing with my feet together to encourage a more centered turn.  I have been working on this in the mirror and on the range with the feet together drill because the last video I took showed some serious swaying.  I also moved away from the ball when putting a good 2 inches.  This seems to encourage a move that starts inside and allows me to take it down the line.  The proof is in having 7 one putts versus my average of 5.

I was very pleased with the round today and will work on fully committing on the shots, especially those into the wind.  I am going to keep the pre-shot feet together swing until my sway is gone, and I will work on those 50 yard shots from the super tight lies.   Today was a solid day with great results.

[TourSpoon]

The shot of the round was on the 360 yard dogleg right #12. Playing into the wind, I aimed for the left side of the fairway and hit a drive on a rope 260. It didn't fade, but just held its line giving me 103 to a center front pin. The front juts out and is very narrow. Normally it's a 54, but with the wind I grip down on a pw with a 3/4 swing and knocked it down. The ball jumped off the face with a lower trajectory and held it's line to land 6 feet right of the flag. The putt lipped out making for an easy par. I took it in stride and on the next hole made up for it when I made the birdie from 30 feet. Just thinking about that little knockdown just makes me want to play even more.

[TourSpoon]

Yesterday was the day of the low flighted wedge and short iron. Given windy conditions, I found myself hitting these shots quite often and hit them tight. I usually grip down an inch or so and put a 3/4 swing on it and hit the distances all day.  In total I had 7 shots within 15 feet from 90 to 135 yards. Too bad some were to get up and down, but I felt really dialed in distance wise. The shot of the day was an 8 iron into a par 3 from 150 to 3 feet for a bird.  I had 3 birds, 30 putts, and hit less than half of the fairways with 2 penalty strokes with distance. The last 3 holes ate me up again, as I went bogey, bogey, double.  I was hot and cold with the long game striking one 320 only to top one three holes later. Finishing with a 79 was a let down, but I know how close I am. The day before I shot an 83 at a very demanding course, but the greens were aerated so there were many funny bounces.

Currently I am working on the centered turn and then keeping my head there as my hips push through the ball.  I have been swaying and getting away with it, but I am convinced I need to tighten this up along with getting rid of the little press that I have to start my swing. I have been using an alignment line on the ball for putting and driving and is something that I will keep around. I feel that my game is progressing well since my first post in August when I started this thread.  In May, it will have been a year since my comeback so I will have to get some thoughts together to share. It has been a good year starting at an 8.5 and working my way down to a 5.2.

[Whiskey84]

Great thread. It's amazing to hear about someone taking the time and putting in the effort to improve, rather than looking for the newest club or ball to shave strokes from their game. Keep up the good work...

[SpacklersEdge]

Really liking this thread also!  How is the anticap calculated?  Are you simply calculating the HDCP using 10 thrown out rounds instead of the ten best?

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by SpacklersEdge

Really liking this thread also!  How is the anticap calculated?  Are you simply calculating the HDCP using 10 thrown out rounds instead of the ten best?

Yes, your anti-handicap, is the worst ten rounds of the twenty. Thanks for reading, I appreciate the positive feedback!

[SpacklersEdge]

Yikes, currently playing to a 12.2, ANCP is 20.4.  My bad rounds are just that, BAD!

[TourSpoon]

It's been a few weeks since my last entry because it has been a few weeks since I played a round of golf. I did play in a scramble a while back and we placed second. One of the players in my group hit one 355 and drove into a bunker on an island green that was a 290 carry. This guy was an animal! Since that tournament, I am still working on keeping my head "back" which is really centered with the hips thrusting forward. Currently my head slides to just even with the ball at impact. I started on the back today and got off to a great start parring the first hole from a drive in the right rough. The next hole is a par 3 playing into the wind 160 and I hit a 6 iron to 8 feet and made bird. I parred the next two holes and now I have hit the first four greens in regulation. On the par five I lay up to 100 yards after a marginal drive and blade the wedge over the green for a bogey. Par the next hole and then after another snapped drive I leave a 4 iron from 200 about 15 yards short and did not get up and down. On 17 hit 2 hybrid 250 downwind and leave 100 to the hole. I have that same sw and hit to 4 feet and make the putt. Standing on the 18th, I aim for the middle of the fairway, take my 3H and push it into the water and failed to cross land. Hitting 3 to the middle of the fairway and then to the green for two putts and a double 6 for 38. At the turn I pair up with some guys and birdie the par 5 with a pitch and putt and hit the first 5 greens only to three putt the 5th to put me at even. At 6 I get up and down from the bunker from 4 feet, at 7 I block my 3H from 215 and then get behind a tree and advance to the bunker and hit to 7 feet and miss the putt for a bogey 6. The next hole is a par 3 from 174 I hit 6 iron to 15 feet and 3 putt again. Finally I hit the last fairway and green and 2 putt from 15 feet for a 38 and a 76. Overall, I have to be very pleased with a 76 that came down to one bad drive that was stroke and distance, a blocked hybrid from the fairway (same club...hmmm), three missed u/d and a pair of 3 putts (total 34 putts). The highlights were 13 greens (14 if you count the penalty hole), three birdies, a sandie, over 50% of fairways and average putt for my GIR was 17 feet! The swing keys today were trying to feel as if the hips were more active in starting the swing. When I felt this I hit the woods straight with a slight draw. The other thought was feeling like my head was staying down longer and this was key with starting everything on line including putts. I am playing Saturday and hope to hit the ball solidly again. In the meantime, I will be working on my putting.

[TourSpoon]

Today's round puts me to a 5.0, with the anti going to an 8.5. This is my lowest cap ever! The round was at a private course called Sherbrooke that has demanding par 3s, risk and reward par 5s, and some tricky par 4s. I struggled around the front with an OB from the tee and only one green until I decided to finish my swing on the 9th hole and hit an 8 iron from 151 past the hole 5 feet and spun it back to 6 inches. That birdie got me to 5 over. I played the back just scraping it but hit some greens and made a bird for 38 and a 79 (6.2). Today was only possible because I had 29 putts and was 75% from the bunkers (even though 2 were to save bogey). I had some other good u/ds but missed the green too many times times with 9 irons and wedges. I came out of my shots too often and will be working on keeping that head behind the ball, even while putting. While 29 putts was good, I missed some easy ones including a 3 footer. I hit some good tee shots, but the iron game didn't show up. I am excited that on a marginal day I still broke 80 as it shows that I can keep it together without the A game. Sometimes you just have to grind.

[Steel]

WOW Tour, I thought I was OCD, your a maniac!!  your story sounds a lot like my own, good thing we don't live in the same city, I would probably be divorced.  It is a lot of fun when your love of the game has been renewed, I took a 12 year hiatus and just started playing again last fall.  My lowest handi was 4.6 but am probably hovering around a 8-10 rite now, I too am trying to get it back down to a 5 but have been struggling lately with making some big numbers on a few holes every round, kind of frustrating, but I now it will come.  Great read, keep up the hard work.  If you are open to a couple of tips that worked for my putting here they are, my biggest putting improvement was going cross handed, got rid of the yips!  another one my friend (a former NCAA U golfer) gave me was probably the best tip for putting I ever got, when I practice my putting I rarely practice outside 5 feet, I make sure I can make it inside 5 feet every time, before a round start 1 foot from the hole, then 2 then 3,4,5 I usually use 5 balls and do this repeatedly, use different green slopes and breaks,  when I am on the course I am bullet proof from inside 5 feet, maybe miss 1 per round.  Funny thing when you have the speed from inside 5 feet is your distance control on the long ones seems to get better as well, go figure?  Good luck on your quest, If you ever come to Vancouver B.C. Canada shoot me a PM, we'll get out for a round.

[TourSpoon]

Hey Steel,

It takes one to know one! When I decided to play golf again, it was based on the reasoning that I now had the time to play. That means that I can practice all areas of my game once a week and play one round per week. I want to really enjoy myself, and for me it was always being sharp enough to know that I could break 80 almost every time I walked out the door. I am right where I want to be (at least for the moment).

It's funny because when I practice putting I spend most of my time at the 3 foot range and never leave until I make 10 in a row. I like the 5 foot drill and will try that next time. I think it is important to mix it up so if you have anything else let me know. The cross-handed grip is something I have yet to fully investigate, but who knows. For now, with the conventional grip, I try to replicate the feeling of when you do the right hand only drill. This seems to produce the most consistent roll.

Thanks for the input and for reading.