Six months ago, I couldn't break 110

[niblick]

Yesterday I shot a 93. It's really fun to see the practice starting to pay off a little.

Now if I could just get control of my driver...

[rembrandt]

Good for you! Practice does help a bunch no doubt about that. Coming down 17 to 20 strokes is quiet a drop and something to be proud of. I am working at breaking 85 right now. I think my new hip is the culprit. I can't seem to fire the right hip into the shot like I use to. They cut all those muscles and they haven't retained their strength as yet. I hope it comes back soon cause I sure hate hitting weak shots that are 10 to 20 yds shorter than they use to be. Anyway, breaking 90 is your new goal and it won't be long!

[niblick]

Good for you! Practice does help a bunch no doubt about that. Coming down 17 to 20 strokes is quiet a drop and something to be proud of. I am working at breaking 85 right now. I think my new hip is the culprit. I can't seem to fire the right hip into the shot like I use to. They cut all those muscles and they haven't retained their strength as yet. I hope it comes back soon cause I sure hate hitting weak shots that are 10 to 20 yds shorter than they use to be. Anyway, breaking 90 is your new goal and it won't be long!

Thanks! Were it not for a penalty stroke and a couple of 3 putts I could have done it yesterday. Good luck rehabbing that hip - that doesn't sound like too much fun. I'm having the opposite problem: I'm hitting the ball much better than I used to, and though I'm trying to pull the right club, I keep flying approach shots over the back of the green. It makes me and at the same time.

[rembrandt]

Thanks! Were it not for a penalty stroke and a couple of 3 putts I could have done it yesterday.

Flying over the green I think is easier to correct than always being short. I grew up on courses where you had to hit the ball short and let it run upon the green. I learned to hit the ball like Jack taught, a high cut shot that landed like a butterfly on the green. I pitched the ball 10 yds short and tried to guess the amount of roll because of the hardness of the greens. Of course Jack played on softer greens. On the course I play on today, that doesn't work at all, creeks guard the fron of nearly all of them. Makes it tough on me, the greens are tiny too. You probably are hitting the ball better and of course the ball travels further than you think it will. After awhile you will learn the exact distance you hit each iron and you can adjust for the middle of the greens.

[gpeden]

I have a had similar improvement over the last year. After a 10 year lay-off (my 'I hate golf' phase). I picked up the game last year, new fitted clubs (Ping G2), and and lessons over the winter.

My handicap has gone from 32 to 18.5. I am focusing right now on no mis-hits (tops, chunks, etc.), and no blow up holes (like the 9 i posted on a par 5, followed by two birdies), and hitting fairways and greens.

In my case, I think the thing that helped me the most was really trusting my pro (we tore my swing down and completely rebuilt it), and working hard.

Now my main challenge is dialing my distances (I went from my 7 iron being my 150 club to my PW), hitting greens, and course management. Oh - and not making stupid 'hero' shots that turn on bad shot into two (or more).

So the game has completely changed for me now that I pretty much always break 100.
g

[niblick]

I have a had similar improvement over the last year. After a 10 year lay-off (my 'I hate golf' phase). I picked up the game last year, new fitted clubs (Ping G2), and and lessons over the winter.

That's great that you've returned to the game and found some success. I'm also trying to get a grip on the distances I'm hitting now. I'm scared to hit a PW from 140 because I've never been able to do that in the past, but I'll pull a 9 and fly it 15 yards over the back. I guess I just need to develop a little confidence. My driver is what I've been working hardest on lately. I just can't put that SOB in play on the course, which leads to teeing off with my hybrid alot. I can play that way, but it puts alot of pressure on the rest of my game.

[gpeden]

The 'angels sing, trumpets sound' moment for me was when we shorted my backswing. You could see on video that at the very top of my old swing I would come 'over the top' badly when over swinging. Now i feel like I am taking a 3/4 swing (on all my clubs) - it is going straighter and farther than I ever expected.

Its taken a little while to get used to. LIke a lot of things in this game, accepting the 'less is more' isn't easy.

g