Comment on my consistency

[plugged]

I hit balls for about an hour on a simulator today. I have found these to be pretty accurate for distance, accuracy, and ball flight. I hit 35 balls with my 7i, with the following stats:

Avg distance (including missed shots) = 156
"Good" shots (good ball flight and very straight or with slight fade/draw) = 27/35 = 77%
"Missed" shots = thin/fat/shank - 8/35 = 23%


With my 5i:

Avg distance = 168
"Good" shots = 30/41 = 73%
"Missed" shots = 11/41 = 27%


How do you compare with your consistency? What type of consistency will I need to get to percentage wise to get to my 2010 goal of 12 HC?

[DaSportsGuy]

As far as consistency goes, I think we're about the same. I don't know my exact percentages I think I'm a little better, not a whole lot.

You've got me on distance.

I think getting down to a 12 next year may be a little bit of a stretch. That seems a little much for one year. I'm shooting for 15.

[sean_miller]

I hit balls for about an hour on a simulator today. I have found these to be pretty accurate for distance, accuracy, and ball flight. I hit 35 balls with my 7i, with the following stats:

How straight is straight? How fat is fat? Thin is not as bad IMO as thinned shots rarely go too far off line and often turn out "ok" (obvously I'm not talking about 60' wedges from 15 yards out).

Your percentage of good shots may not increase as your hdcp decreases. I believe that as your distance control and dispersion improve, your "good shots" will be better, and your expectations will therefore increase. Some of the shots you classified as "good" today, may be "bad" as a 12. You may always hit ~ 77% good shots at the launch monitor, but your total yards away from the target will decrease - good stuff.

[plugged]

How straight is straight? How fat is fat? Thin is not as bad IMO as thinned shots rarely go too far off line and often turn out "ok" (obvously I'm not talking about 60' wedges from 15 yards out). Your percentage of good shots may not increase as your hdcp decreases. I believe that as your distance control and dispersion improve, your "good shots" will be better, and your expectations will therefore increase. Some of the shots you classified as "good" today, may be "bad" as a 12. You may always hit ~ 77% good shots at the launch monitor, but your total yards away from the target will decrease - good stuff.

All my good shots with both my 7i and 5i were clustered in about a 20 yd circle. The center of this circle was on the left side of the green both times, so that is an obvious aiming error I need to correct. As a result, probably 75% of my good shots ended up on the green. If I shift my point of aim to the right slightly, I can get that to 90% easily. IOW, when I made a good shot, it was usually very good and when I made a bad shot, same thing. The simulator screen shows all shot flights and ball locations and today all my shots with both irons were in two clusters - the first (as indicated above) clustered around the left side of the green and the other (much larger - about 40 yd circle) centered about 30 yards short of the green and about 30 yards offline to the left. This indicates a consistent pattern of misses in both my shanks and fatties.

I do agree that as my game improves, a good shot now will be considered marginal in the future. Hopefully that comes sooner than later.

[ks8829]

If you want to cut strokes off your handicap and keep it off the fastest way is to practice from the hole backwards. Focus all your practice time to your putting and chipping around the green and from within 50 yards.

Keep your putts per hole and round as well as your scrambling percentage or up and down to one putt and save par, make birdie and even to save boogie.

If you practice 90% of your time too putting and the short game, you will cut at least 5 strokes off your scores and possibly more depending on how often and how you practice to improve your short game.

The videos that help my putting and short game are below:

[WUTiger]

#1. Work on your short game, as others have said.

#2. Work on getting ball in fairway off the tee. You won't shoot in the 80s if you always need to get up and down for a bogie. On days your Driver is grouchy, switch to a 3W.

#3. Devote some concentrated time to your full swing. Try to find the "money irons" for your swing, and set up tee shots which allow you to approach the green with these clubs.

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Make sure you work on flexibility and basic conditioning.
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I get abdominal surgery in three weeks, so you have a chance to move out ahead of me this spring in getting ready to play. Good luck!

[treebound]

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Hi, new guy to the site here. I was going to ask about the videos but when I replied with quote then their address showed up.

I struggle with consistency too so the suggestions in this thread are helpfull. Thanks.