PJCdude

This summer I dropped from a 19 to a 14 by: 1) Having opportunities to play way more than usual. 2) Using The Grint to identify my weakness based on data (approach shots) and make a specific goal (hit more GIR) 3) Use Top Tracer range to get my REAL yardages and accept that I’m a short hitter 4) Replace 5i with 5 hybrid I went from averaging only 2 GIR a round to averaging 5. Might not seem like a huge differences but my misses were way closer and easier up and downs too. Now that I made a weakness a strength, my short game that was “good for a bogey golfer” will not be good enough to become a single digit so more chipping and putting practice will be in order. Also, as a short hitter, I need all the distance I can get and a properly fit driver might be the play….I guess a lesson could help too.

New personal low 86 at Whitney Farms in Monroe, CT. 41-45. On the back I had two triples including a shank into the hazard area. The fact that I reeled off 3 straight pars post shank made me so proud of myself regardless of the score. I have a habit of letting mistakes compound but I just took a breath, refocused and forgot it happened. I had 31 putts which I think is also a personal best and I don’t want to put too much stock in it but I decided TODAY to try a new putting strategy. For the past few years I’ve putted with almost a pitchy loose wrist stroke that I had good distance control with but would miss short putts. Recently I tried keep the right wrist (I’m a lefty) stiff and it helped ALOT with short putts but I had no feel for distance so my second putts were still not short. I decided to do my wrist putt for my first putt (unless I was inside like 10 feet) and then change it up to the stiffer wrist for short putts. Seemed to work out! Will see if it still works tomorrow.

Shot a 90 Today at the town course which is my 3rd best score ever. Recently acknowledged my decreasing clubhead speed and got a 5 hybrid. OnlY hit it on the range once but had the yardage for it on 15. Didn’t have any great expectations but Hit it to about 5 feet! (Missed the birdie putt 😞 )

Played 9 at The Links at Brigantine Beach near Atlantic City. Was there for my bro’s bachelor party. Was way more inebriated than usual but still managed a 47 for 9 after an 8 on the first hole. 18 capper here to that’s pretty solid. Best shot was the second to last. Approach landed in a bunker and had a short sided downhiller. Hit my 60 degree K grind and ball bounced once in the rough, once off the fringe then gently trickled down, narrowly missing the hole and stopping a foot away. Made the par putt then kept the party goin!

This describes me the past few years. Spend all summer in the 91-95 range chasing that 80s round and once I get it it’s like I lose my fire and am up shooting 98-105. Let me know if you figure it out!

I said yes even though after reading everyone else, 90 percent is a lot but I’m prob close with my 54*. I struggled having the same touch with my set wedges that I have with my vokey. Use it for basically everything inside 75 yds besides bunkers and short sided shots from rough (that’s the 60). If I’m on a real tight fairway lie close to the green I’ll putt with a hybrid but the 54 is used at least 80 percent. Now that 60ish yd range I’ve actually been experimenting with some pelz clock method swings with my set wedges because my full swing with the 54 is good and the half swing from 50 yds is money but I tend to skull the 3/4 swing from 60-65 yds. But anyway, inside 50 yards it’s 54 degree S grind all day. Versatile grind, am comfortable manipulating ball position/face enough thanks to practicing in my yard all during quarantine.

Iron set wedges are 44(Pw) and 49(aw) vokeys are 54s and 60k set wedges are mainly full Shots. The 54 does everything inside 75 yards except bunkers and if I’m short sided in rough (that’s the k) I’m thinking of getting new irons next spring but wondering if I’ll have to get a 50 degree wedge (will most likely drop my 4h if 5i is long enough) with all of these new long hitting irons. Rogue x has a 46 degree gap wedge!

It's worth noting that the golfers who keep handicaps are GOOD golfers. I have plenty of friends I play with pretty regularly who shoot around 100 but DON'T keep a handicap. I'm an 18 which is clearly below average in that chart but other studies put the average male golf score at 97-98 which I beat 70-80 percent of the rounds I play so I still consider myself better than average. Now compared to people on The Sand Trap.....different story.

Yea I think Driver is the answer here. Neither would be pretty but I say Driver.

Gonna take this down a notch for the mid/high handicappers without a connect. Since moving to Fairfield CT 4 months ago, here are my top 5 western CT public courses: 1) Sterling Farms 2) H Smith Richardson 3) Tashua Knolls 4) Tradition Club at Oak Lane 5) Whitney Farms none of these courses have any relevance in the history of golf and everyone can get on one of these courses at a reasonable rate but I stand by my ranking. Honorable Mention: Winged Foot about 40 minutes away.

I have a 6 year old that I’ve taken to the course but he’s not to your sons level yet. you mention the competitiveness, why not do some kind of chipping game with him? You each get 9 balls from off the practice green, keep score. If he wins, more Taco Bell. I think if he plays enough, he ll realize the importance of the short game more, you just need to find a way to make it close to as fun as hitting bombs. Just my two cents but you know your kid better than I do so really just a suggestion.

Played 9 at H Smith Richardson. Shot a 42 (+6) which is my PB for 9 holes. 3 pars and 6 bogeys. Missed a few putts too which is crazy to think I could be threatening the 30s when last week I shot a 110. I think what helped was working the ball both ways on the range before hand and trying to work EVERY shot GW or longer. Kept me loose and content when the ball went the right direction instead of stressing when I wasn’t dead straight. Small fade with short clubs, draw with long clubs. Driver draw off the tee has been a huge weapon and instead of laying up before the bunker on tight driving holes, I’m hitting past it. Really hit home today how important tee to green is.

Bump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=431TNVycczM Soooo it's been about 5 years since I last updated this. In the time being, my scores have improved and last year I took my first lesson with a PGA pro. It was very helpful and my scores improved even more! This paragraph is a little TMI but I feel it's necessary. I got a vasectomy over the winter that STILL hasn't totally healed. I can't really run or do anything strenuous. I can still golf which has kept me sane but I have had to modify my swing. My source of power after last year's lesson was creating separation between shoulder and hips and starting the downswing with an aggressive shift to the target with the hips. This causes me pain now and I've had ot adjust. I don't feel any pain when my shoulders and hips are synced up but I feel like I'm unable to get my weight forward enough for impact. My miss has been a pull so with longer clubs I've just been trying to own it and setup aiming left with OK results. I've been messing around in the yard during COVID with plastic balls and playing about once a week. My scores are similar to last year (probably due to a solid short game and better course management) but swing is back to being inconsistent and I've been tinkering without guidance, changing my swing from round to round. I decided to check in here and finally get some guidance from people with more swing knowledge. Here's DTL embedded

So I just moved to Fairfield, CT and have been exploring all of the courses in the area (so many great courses) but next year, if the world is normal, I will probably join the Mens Club at H Smith Richardson. It is the Fairfield town course and I'll probably get a Resident ID. Prime tee times are tough to get. I've only played here once but I'll tell you about the number one handicap. Its Number 14, Par 4, 405 from the whites but uphill so plays closer to 420. It's the hole in the middle with the green top left. As you can see, there's other holes on each side so there is room to miss but the green is tougher than it looks on GPS. The back has a decent roll off if you go far and the bunker in front has a higher mound than you can tell on GPS. The green is decently undulated with I believe a semi valley, punchbowl in the middle. The one time I played it, I hit a great drive but it only went 215 due to the up hill. (230 is my "solid drive" distance) For my second shot, I hit hybrid 190 out trying to aim at the right bunker and fade it in but it came out low and over faded, ended up JUST short of the front left bunker. I could have tried to land RIGHT on top of the mound and let it feed down to the hole but I didn't want to risk it coming up short in the sand so I went for the middle of the green and 2 putted. It's not THAT difficult but I think the distance and unforgiving green area gets it the number one. A bogey golfer hitting hybrid/fairway wood 200 out is going to be less accurate and make worse decisions than the single digit hitting a mid iron from 170.