Duffer

[Tech]

Hi everyone

I'm new here(joined about a week ago). I found this site inadvertently, when looking up a review on a driver. I've been here eversince!

I'm fairly new to the game of golf as well. I had a friend in 8th grade that had a set of hand-me-down clubs. He would invite me over to hit NERF balls in his backyard.
We used to spend hours doing that. We then tried to go from that to playing 9 on a real course!

After about the first hour, and still attempting to reach the FIRST GREEN, we gave up after we let the 20th foursome play through! (unfortunetly, I stopped playing all together after that.)

Last year(about 13 years later) My wife bought me a new set of clubs(nothing special, just some generic set) and went and played about 8 or 9 rounds of nine holes with a co-worker. (note- we didnt need to let anyone play through!) I was getting several snowmen on my scorecard though. I decided, rather than to practice golf the wrong way, I wanted to take a few lessons just to get the basics, so when I practice, I would be practicing the right way, not practicing to get worse!

I took 3 lessons Last winter with a local PGA pro, Jim Muszak. My goal this season was to break 100. I've been able to shoot 45-48 on 9 holes and about 98-104 on 18! (only prob is, other than knowing I'm not playing well, I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing differently fom the 104 round and the 98 round!)

Anyway, My goal this year is to get consistant with my driver(long and straight and figure out how to put SPIN on the ball with my short game) hopefully in 3 or 4 years, I can focus on shaping my drives.

Great Site! Thanks for the opportunity for the long narrative!

[muskegman]

Great to have you show up here. Golf is a great game... theres enough challenge to last a lifetime. I took up the game full time about a year and a half ago and have been addicted ever since. I'm enjoying the little victories along the way and trying not to take the learning experiences too seriously.

Stick with the lessons and what you learn from those lessons! Hope to see a lot more of you around here.

[Tech]

Thanks for the reply

One thing I REALLY like about this forum/site, is how nice everyone is, even to beginers. I've never posted at a golf forum before, just because of intimidation. I learned a great deal(which means little, when you know nothing like me) with the 3 lessons I took. I still pretty much know nothing, but have a better understanding of the basics. I'm now an addict and try to play as often as I can sneak out. Hopefully, I can get some more lessons. (hard to do when your wife hates golf and her husband playing it!) I enjoy learning from my mistakes. If I shoot over 100, I still enjoy myself, albeit slightly disappointed, but I never get angry.

"For an extra 20 yards, scream at impact"

Does this also include yelling "FORE" ?

[iacas]

Just because you're in Rochester, NY doesn't mean you can't keep improving over the winter, either. Fitness, putting, and the mental game can all be worked on quite easily. If you do have a dome nearby, visit it now and then just to keep loose. Don't really work on anything except making good, solid contact.

Oh, and welcome aboard!

[NM Golf]

Thanks for the reply

Don't get intimidated just remember there aren't enough low handicappers to keep golf alive. I play with a lot of low handicapper snobs and I remind them of that every time I take their money. 10 years ago I couldn't break 90 now I kick their butts. Keep at it. By the way how are you midwest and back east duffers doing. Little cold where you are? I am playing today without even needing a jacket.

[Tech]

Yeah, There's an indoor range, same place I took my lessons.
I plan on going a few times a month...(just need to find time to be able to sneak away from the wife...) The only problem I had there, was that I practiced there thru out last winter, but I found that I was hitting them fat.
I didnt realize it until I started using the outside range(grass). I practice my irons off the deck, and with the tight bristle mat, It's really forgiving on fat shots.

[muskegman]

Generally when I scream at impact its because I've just dug a new trench. Or I scream just after impact as I watch my ball hook into the next fairway over.

[Tech]

LOL, sounds like we have the same swing! I'm thinkning if I dont scream, "Fore", maybe it wont go AS FAR out of bounds, however; I'm not sure how appreciative the the guy, who owns the Head that I hit with the wayward golf ball, will be!