Journal - My quest to the 80's - (Continued from the WALL 93-96) thread

[ks8829]

If your are concern about scoring practice and track the following during your round and journal it for us:

practice

1) Putting

2) chipping around the green

3) 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90. 100 yards from the hole.

70-80% of your practice should be on your short game.

Tracking your round

1) How many putts per front 9 and back 9 and total for 18 holes

2) How many up and downs for a one putt per hole, per front and back 9 and for total of 18 holes, what is your percentage of successful up and downs during a round?

3) Greens hits on regulations?

4) Fairways hits

The above will help you track what part of  your game you should practice but mostly your short game starting with putting.

[ks8829]

I truly believe that too many beginner only practice with their driver and long irons thinking that this will help them achieve their next level or breaking 80 but if you practice making solid contact and then distance control with your wedges you are actually improving your ball striking with your mid, long, fairway and even your driver while focusing on solid wedge contact.

Solid contact and distance control with your wedges will lead you to a better golf swing.

[xburbx]

Link not working in that video?

Played this morning at a course in Pittsburgh while visiting some family.  Shot and 89.  The course was nice and I could see if I played it a couple more times and was familiar with the greens for the approach shots I would be closer to the pin and pick up a few more strokes.  I was hitting GIR but they were much bigger than the norm for me so I had a lot of lag putting.

[xburbx]

Went out last night and tonight.  Last night was "that round".  I managed to shoot a 96 which awful but it happens.  I couldnt hit chips , putts or regular shots.  My game was just off.  Chris had a nice round at 86.  Tonight was better.  We also got a 9 hole and range lesson from the pro.  We are going to both have to take 1 step backwards with our swing to take 2 forwards.  The adjustments are small but they take some getting used to.  I dialed in the 50-60 chip shot which was hurting me but I still am not confident with my driver off the tee.  I need to go to the range and just swing the driver for a few weeks.  I need some level of confidence with it.  It is a total crap shoot when I step up.  Chipping and putting were on tonight and my first 9 holes I shot a 44.  Then we joined up with some locals on the back 9 and played a team scramble.  It's a nice change up from normal play to keep things light.  The group we joined were a funny group to say the least.  It kept us laughing.

[xburbx]

I have found this to really be true and help my score.  I don't want this journal to focus on my driver  as it really isnt a huge concern for me.  I am not looking to hit a huge ball but it does give me the extra 20-30 yards over my 3 hybrid on long par 4's to put me in GIR range with scoring irons.  If I can be inside 150 with my 3 hybrid on a par 4, I am playing it off the tee.  If I can be on in 3 on a par 5, I am probably playing the hybrid unless a long drive could put me in position to be on in 2.  It is just a tool in the bag but I am not placing a lot of emphasis on it.  I am way more concerned with my chipping and putting than my driving, but the driver is something I should have just enough confidence with to know I will atleast keep a ball in play.  Right now the confidence just isnt there.  I am actually wondering if a 3 wood or 2hybrid off the tee might be a good look.  I need a 230-250 yard ball to get into scoring distance for most decent sized par 4's.

Originally Posted by ks8829

I truly believe that too many beginner only practice with their driver and long irons thinking that this will help them achieve their next level or breaking 80 but if you practice making solid contact and then distance control with your wedges you are actually improving your ball striking with your mid, long, fairway and even your driver while focusing on solid wedge contact.

Solid contact and distance control with your wedges will lead you to a better golf swing.

[xburbx]

I like this

Originally Posted by ks8829

If your are concern about scoring practice and track the following during your round and journal it for us:

practice

1) Putting

2) chipping around the green

3) 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90. 100 yards from the hole.

70-80% of your practice should be on your short game.

Tracking your round

1) How many putts per front 9 and back 9 and total for 18 holes

2) How many up and downs for a one putt per hole, per front and back 9 and for total of 18 holes, what is your percentage of successful up and downs during a round?

3) Greens hits on regulations?

4) Fairways hits

The above will help you track what part of  your game you should practice but mostly your short game starting with putting.

[max power]

I respectfully strongly disagree.  If you want to break 80 practice so you are deadly accurate off the tee and extremely confident on long and mid iron approach shots.  Don't neglect your short game, but get your ballstriking sorted out 1st and go from there.  Doing this got me to the point where I pretty much know I'll break 80...if I keep every drive/tee shot in play and hit my approach shots crisply.  Doesn't have to be perfect drives or hit every GIR-but no out of bounds or lost ball penalties, 2nd shots from behind a tree, etc. and I know I'll par most holes, have a couple chances at birdie, and mediocre chip shots or crappy putts will usually only result in a bogey.

Ballstriking.

Originally Posted by ks8829

If your are concern about scoring practice and track the following during your round and journal it for us:

practice

1) Putting

2) chipping around the green

3) 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90. 100 yards from the hole.

70-80% of your practice should be on your short game.

Tracking your round

1) How many putts per front 9 and back 9 and total for 18 holes

2) How many up and downs for a one putt per hole, per front and back 9 and for total of 18 holes, what is your percentage of successful up and downs during a round?

3) Greens hits on regulations?

4) Fairways hits

The above will help you track what part of  your game you should practice but mostly your short game starting with putting.

[motteler621]

When you start to work on your shortgame, get to know how to use bounce. Once you understand how to use bounce and the leading edge your shortgame will get much better.

[xburbx]

In regards to the bounce I assume you mean where you want your ball to land and how far it should roll to.  That is something I have been really using and my chipping has greatly improved.  We played yesterday and today.  Today I kept my 9 hole score because we ended up meeting with some local guys on the turn and playing a scramble.  Yesterday I shot a 91 but it felt better than that.  My putting must have been a bit off.  I try to track that stuff on the skycaddie.  As it stands now, it looks like the goal for the journal was accomplished and I need to really look at the single digit handicap as the next one.  This could take some time.  I am trying to chip for 2-3 hours per week before or after rounds.  I also have been keeping my range time up.  Usually 300-500 balls per week depending on the week.  I still mess with little things in my swing but the foundation is there and they are minor tweaks.  I think I understand the swing and short game, but now I just need to practice more and more.

[xburbx]

My 9 hole today was a 42.  I forgot to mention that above.

[xburbx]

played tonight.  it was too hot out and i didnt feel like finishing the back 9.  shot a 44 then went over to chip on the practice green.  chipped about 75 balls.  my chipping is feeling better and better.  i'm starting to open and close the club face with more confidence depending on the release i want.  i saw a guy on the practice green chipping with a bag of about 50 balls.  he had one of those manual ball picker uppers.  thats a good idea . ill look into to getting one of those.

[Ctp722]

Had my first try at an eagle today, missed about a 6 footer.

Driver to 5 iron from about 185.

[carpediem4300]

Great read guys, will keep following this closely, hopefuly you can break 70 next!!

I dont get to play nearly as much as id like, perhaps one day ill baton up and just get a membership forcing myself to play 2-3 times w eek and i can get better

at the minut ei like my 100+ rounds, means i get to hit more shots :P

[Ctp722]

I think on the quest to getting better joining a club was vitally important!

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpediem4300

Great read guys, will keep following this closely, hopefuly you can break 70 next!!

I dont get to play nearly as much as id like, perhaps one day ill baton up and just get a membership forcing myself to play 2-3 times w eek and i can get better

at the minut ei like my 100+ rounds, means i get to hit more shots :P

[xburbx]

i agree with chris.  playing unlimited golf really keeps all pressure off and allows you to practice on your game, drop a second ball, work on chipping, work on putting etc.  it is a huge time obligation.  we usually get to the course at 3-4pm and then stay until 8-9pm 5 days per week.  before or after we usually hit range balls or work on the practice green.  i am transitioning more time over to the practice green for putting and chipping currently in the journal.

yesterday i shot an 86 and it really was because of my putting and chipping.  ball striking and shots were average but i saved a ton of strokes putting and chipping.  i'm going to focus on putting for 45 minutes anytime i am practicing.  the range is good until a certain point.  chris and i can hit 9 out of 10 balls with solid contact so there isnt a ton that the range has to offer right now other than swing timing for a warm up.  if i adjust something in my swing i will spend more time there to get the muscle memory down.  i am going to finish this season in this journal and then start a new one for next year which will be the quest to a single digit handicap.  right now we are hovering at a 14. those 6 strokes will probably take a couple hundred hours of playing and practice to hit 9.

[xburbx]

on a side note, chris's eagle chance was one of the best played holes we have ever seen playing.  it's crazy to say, but he was in such good position that a birdie was a slight let down.  imagine looking at a birdie as something that doesnt feel awesome and that puts what a possible eagle shot can do.

[xburbx]

played yesterday and today.  holy hell that heat is intense.  it actually impacts the stamina and concentration like most wouldnt believe.  i shot a 93 yesterday and a 91 today.  i also made a pretty major change in my swing so i hit about 200 balls last night and 200 today.  it's actually not major, but it takes a little getting used to.  chipping and putting have been coming along with the practice.  i have had more 1 putts and chip ins than i have in the last months just in these last 2 days.  the problem has been my ball striking is a little off.  i try to chip 75-100 balls each time i practice and 50-75 putts.  putts are tedious but it helps.

[xburbx]

Mental Golf - Something I thought I would post for people that have a higher handicap than me.  There are a few things that you mature with as your handicap lowers.  Course management is huge and your mental stability is right there with it.  If you have ever played with a low handicap golfer you will notice they don't get nearly as mad at a bad shot as a high handicap golfer.  High handicap golfers usually get mad at drives that don't go 275 in the center of the fairway.  Low handicap golfers take advantage of good tee shots but arent worried about bad ones that they can still play.  I used to get mad about bad shots but now I really don't care.  You are always 1 shot away from saving a hole.  High handicap golfers also get really mad when their approach shot doesnt land 10 feet from the pin.  As I get better at chipping, as long as my approach is somewhere I can chip from, I don't really care.  I like hitting GIR's like anyone else, but getting up and down with confidence is a huge mental boost.  I also look at every hole like a green.  When you are putting from 40 ft, you are just trying to get it close enough to know your next putt goes in for your course given 2 putt.  The same applies for the entire hole.  I look at being inside of 150 as my lag putt.  I get safely inside of 150 as safely and fast as possible.  I don't care if it's on the fairway as long as I have a shot.  That 150 and in is the same as the 40 ft lag putt.  The only time I get aggressive off the tee is on a long par 4 because I want to approach on my second shot.  Even then, if I put one off the fairway, I know I can hit a low punch shot to inside 150 and then get into that "lag chip" distance.  I have already accepted my bogie so I stay within my game and do everything I can to avoid a double.  On par 5's unless it is a short one, I am never trying to get those extra 30 yards off the tee because it doesnt matter.  I just try to make sure that my second shot puts me within 150 yards to be on in regulation with my 3rd.  The only time I get aggressive on par 5's is when I have a shot at being on in 2.  This is usually with short par 5's with a downhill slope somewhere. Who cares if your tee shot goes 230 instead of 260 on a 580 yrd par 5.  At 260 I am 320 to the hole so I will use a 3 hybrid or less to safely get inside of the 150.  If I hit it 230 off the tee in the center of the fairway I am 350 so I need a 200 yard shot versus a 170 with the 260 yard drive.  With where I am in my game, the chance of me hitting a 200 yard shot vs 170 into a similar are is pretty close.  I'd prefer the 170 shot with a 5 or 6 iron but taking the chance of having to hit that with a low punch behind a tree instead of a 4 iron or hybrid from the center of the fairway is a no brainer to me.  This concept also applies to shots behind trees.  Unless I am very confident that I can go up and over and it will really help me, I am punching low to get inside of 150.  I see so many times that people hit full shots behind trees to hit that 1 in a million over the tree shot.  Usually these are your 30+ handicappers.  A simple punch under a nice wide opening might not be as pretty but there is a good chance I will score better than the high handicapper that just tried to go over the trees on that same shot.  The only time I go over the trees is when I have a lot of trees to get by and I am far enough off to get my pitching wedge over them.  It usually goes to a similar spot as my low punch but in that scenario my low punch might have had to thread the needle and my chances were better going over.  It might be prettier to go over, but again, the score is all that matters.   I hope that helps with course management.