Breaking 80 in 99 Days...

[Hackforfun]

Originally Posted by WesTyler

...

My biggest issue is that I keep skulling the ball. I need to learn to get under it better. Of course, I may need to get my clubs extended, since I'm using standard length while standing at 6' 2"... more than one person has commented that they're too short.

Stay classy, Sandtrappers.

Interesting project you have going and I wish you the best success. You really need to take advantage of the professional instructors you have access to. The passage I highlighted shows a limited understanding about how the golf ball and clubhead interact.

I will be watching the updates and it's good to see you have taken some advice on board and have adapted your regime to something that will hopefully get you closer to your goal.

[Shanker]

Good Luck!  Whether you can do it or not with this dedication you will improve!  NO DOUBT!

Subscribed...

[anotherday]

Keep your head down. The number one issue people have when they're starting out.. and even when they've played for a long time. You'll skull it less and you'll make better contact.

Everyone is saying it isn't possible... that isn't true.. it is just improbable. But no one knows until they try so good job on trying.

In the short time you have, you need to get the fundamentals down. Swinging easier will make for a better, consistent swing. Putting is crucial. 3 putts need to be gone - manage your speed on the course. Because you'll be on the same course, you'll know the greens better and you can suit your putting game around what you know about the greens. When you practice, try to keep your putts within "tap in" distance. Easier said than done, but for a 130 player, anything not inside that distance is still a "tester" shot.

If you have a par 4 that you know will take you 3 shots to get to the green, then make sure you use a club that will get you there safely. So... drop the driver if it is less controllable and go for an iron or hybrid. The fairway makes a bigger difference than I knew when I was shooting in the 130s. Also, just because you might be able to get closer to the green with one club, it might not be the greatest idea because you could leave yourself with a half shot or 3/4 shot. Better to lay-up to distances that give you a nice full swing that you are comfortable and confident with.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[jamo]

Originally Posted by anotherday

Keep your head down. The number one issue people have when they're starting out.. and even when they've played for a long time. You'll skull it less and you'll make better contact.

Everyone is saying it isn't possible... that isn't true.. it is just improbable. But no one knows until they try so good job on trying.

I've always wondered if the inability to keep one's head down is really as rampant as people think. Fodder for another thread I suppose...

Oh and, FWIW, by my count not a single person has said it isn't possible. I think "clearly unachievable" is as far as anyone has gone, and that seems to be the minority opinion.

[JoeC36]

Originally Posted by jamo

I've always wondered if the inability to keep one's head down is really as rampant as people think. Fodder for another thread I suppose...

Oh and, FWIW, by my count not a single person has said it isn't possible. I think "clearly unachievable" is as far as anyone has gone, and that seems to be the minority opinion.

I think most of us believe that it isnt possible, but were trying to be nice. No one wants to be told that their goals are impossible so were not telling him. shaving off 50 strokes in 100 days impossible IMHO, but it is what it is.

[anotherday]

Haha.. they may not have word-for-word said it is not possible.. but I think the consensus is that it isn't going to happen. I think with the criteria that has been set, it is a long shot, but entirely possible. He's essentially planning on having a really great round within 99 days and is playing golf by the quantity and not necessarily by the quality. It's like closing your eyes and trying to hit a bullseye on a dartboard. It is a long shot.. but if you throw enough darts, you could do it. (Oversimplification, I know, hold off on the "Golf is nothing like darts" replies.. )

And I really do think that the inability to keep one's head down is a pretty big issue. Maybe not rampant because I'd like to think it becomes second nature as you progress and get more experience. I notice it creeping into people's games when they start hitting better shots.. they want to see that nice shot they just hit.

[johnclayton1982]

Quote:

Great post by johnclayton1982.  Very helpful.  Can you elaborate more on Number 2?  Is this the same as a Smash Bag?

Thanks.  It is the same.  Its a bag that you hit, hard, and it freezes you at impact position.  You can see if you are square, open, or closed, or what you look like.  I went out to my yard and teed up a ball, then traced my tee height onto a blank side of the bag with a felt pen.  Then, I'd hit that with my driver 40 times per night, making sure it was (1) square and (2) hitting the right height (i.e. not topping or clipping mostly the tee).  During this practice, I also used a swing meter to make sure I wasn't slowing down to square up, focusing on hitting square, not high or low, and at least a 90 mph swing speed.  Now I can hit the bag well at 95, and don't lose too much at 100.  My goal in one year is to be able to get good impact position over 100.  These drills have also given me a good sense of how fast my club is going - I swing all out on par 5s with wide-open fairways, and much slower on tight, short par 4s.  This would have been impossible without constantly swinging, then checking speed and impact position.

Between the smash bag practice and switching to a short driver (cut down a full 1" from regular size) with 12* of loft, I have drastically increased my fairways hit.  I hit 11/14 straight the other day at my club, 10/14 hit fairways (two rolled too far into rough, but the shot was straight.)  This has caused my score to plummet from 105,108+ to the high eighties.  I don't hit it very far, probably due to the cut down driver (about 225-245) but being in the fairway that much makes it much easier to shoot a low score.  If you can control the drive, and you can make solid iron contact most of the time, you are generally looking at a bogey at worst on the typical par 4 if you hit it 230 in the fairway (iron shot, chip, two putts).  Making the driver easier and drilling being able to hit it straight cuts scores really fast, and sometimes you hit a good iron or a good putt and grab a par.  I'm a bit less sure how to make the jump from high eighties to low eighties, but for the moment I'm going to enjoy being able to play in the mornings without holding up 10 groups.

[WesTyler]

Thanks, guys. I am impressed by the civility of this forum. There are many other places online where a goal like this would be flamed mercilessly, but the response here has been, if slightly skeptical, still supportive.

There are two reasons I chose to set my goal at 80. The first :

Originally Posted by iacas

Publicity.

He's not wrong. I may as well report to a brick wall if I write about this exclusively on my obscure little blog. If I talk about it here, it generates discussion and actionable feedback. I can't thank you enough for suggesting against 18 holes every day. I'd already be getting burned out.

And the second reason is that it gives me a definite target to focus on while allowing no room for complacency. If my goal was to break 110 in three months, a more reasonable number, and two months from now I'm hovering at 112, I'd get lazy. If I'm at that same number while my goal is 80, I would have to seriously buckle down and redouble my efforts.

So am I going to break 80? Realistically? Doubtful. That's not the point.

Is my goal going to remain 80 in 99 days? Absolutely.

If that's a little too Napoleon Hill for your liking, that's fine. You're welcome to write the number 80 off as a publicity stunt (I would, if I were on the outside looking in). Instead, look at it as an experiment on how much a hacker can improve in one summer.

Thanks for the heart-to-heart, guys. I'm going to go fight a bear now.

Day 4 update: Putting, Putting, Putting

I confess I got a late start today. Combined with errands I needed to run, I got to the course about ten minutes before my shift started. So... I didn't really have time to practice.

But, then again, my goal is 80. I don't have time to not practice.

So I sliced the rim off a 32 oz. Pepsi cup, taped it to the floor, taped a marker spot four feet away, and practiced putting throughout the day. 250 putts, to be exact.

It's important to remember that this is a circle taped to the floor.  So sometimes it was a judgment call on whether it would have gone in were it an actual hole. So there exists a margin for error.

Nevertheless, here are my stats as I calculated them:

• I sank 199/250 putts from 4 feet. That's 79.6%
• My longest continuous streak was 23
• My longest dry spell was 4 misses

Tomorrow, I plan to mark a few spots 4 feet from the hole on an actual green, shoot 250 putts, and see how my numbers compare.

I'm also taking my first legitimate golf lesson from my uncle.

Can't wait.

[G8RNTN]

I THINK THIS THREAD IS GREAT.... GOOD FEEDBACK FOR THE REST OF US EVEN THOUGH ITS FOR YOU. I HOPE U REACH YOUR GOAL BUT JUST HOPE U GET CLOSE TO IT. I HOPE U CONTINUE TO UPDATEUS ON YOUR PROJECT. GOOD LUCK

[johnclayton1982]

I would suggest using several greens or lowering your putts per session.  By the end of the 250, you are going to know that hole so well you won't miss.  However, it will be a false positive for how good you are.

[WesTyler]

Originally Posted by johnclayton1982

I would suggest using several greens or lowering your putts per session.  By the end of the 250, you are going to know that hole so well you won't miss.  However, it will be a false positive for how good you are.

Day 5: Putting and Lesson

Absurd false positive. I did 100 4-foot putts on an actual green today and only sank 52 of them. I vastly overestimated how many of those putts would actually have gone in. There's a world of difference between carpet and grass that I hadn't counted on. Moisture, grain, subtle break... yeah. That carpet exercise is worthless.

On the plus side, my stroke for mini-golf is fierce .

But yes. To get an accurate count going forward, I'll have to use an actual green and putt to multiple holes. Thanks for the advice.

I also took my first lesson today. Got my grip fixed and gained a set-up routine. I don't move my head nearly as much, and I'm making much better contact with my wedges.

I'll be dating strippers any day now.

[delav]

Wes, I appreciate your attitude quite a bit in this thread.

Breaking 80 is a silly goal but it seems like you understand this, as well as the crazy amount of work required to get there.  I hope the practicing goes well, and that the blisters quickly turn to callouses for you (the worst part of excessive range time).

Keep up the hard work.  If the end result is a solid sub-90 round, I think it'll be reason enough to celebrate.

[Doctorfro]

Here's your wet blanket.  You can't do this, UNLESS...you get some help.  Even then this is pretty much a pipe dream.  But you seriously need to invest in some help.  A good instructor can get you going in the right direction.  Playing a bunch of bad golf is not going to help you achieve a lofty goal.  Just saying.....

[WesTyler]

Originally Posted by Doctorfro

Here's your wet... dream.

Yes. Yes it is.

Day 6 Update:

I repeated my 18-hole, 75-yard approach exercise, having had a lesson on setup and feeing more confident with my wedges.

For comparison, here were my stats on Day 3:

• I averaged 1.94 shots to get on the green
• I averaged 2.11 putts on the green
• For a total average of 4.05 shots to sink the ball from 75 yards

My stats from today:

• I averaged 1.61 shots to get on the green
• I averaged 2.38 putts on the green
• For a total average of 3.99 shots to sink the ball from 75 yards

So a fairly substantial improvement on approach shots (at least on paper) at the cost of putts.

I believe that's because, while I'm hitting more greens in one shot, I'm failing to fall within a reasonable distance of the pin, resulting in more 3 and (bleh) 4 putts. That was less the issue on Day 2, where relatively near misses of the green allowed me to approach better. I'll need to focus on getting by the hole, rather than just praying it lands anywhere on the green.

[iacas]

Wes, rather than "working on" segments of your game, get good lessons and work on that . You're not really "working on" these things like you think you are.

Good instruction might have you hitting the ball 50 yards with a 6-iron but will instantly improve every shot in your bag.

[G8RNTN]

Have u given up??? I  dont see any updates... Dont give up

[1par2win]

Since this cat disappeared like a fart in the wind I was wondering what your favorite WesTyler moment was? I admire people that set high goals but there was something in his over-the-top enthusiasm that stuck me as less than serious. Hope the guy isn't sitting in the maintenance shed at his uncles course curled up in the fetal position suffering a mental breakdown after hitting something like eight hundred 7 irons in a row. This game will make you crazy enough as it is let alone trying to maintain a schedule like this guy attempted. It's a lesson for the kids out there.

[jamo]

Since this cat disappeared like a fart in the wind I was wondering what your favorite WesTyler moment was? I admire people that set high goals but there was something in his over-the-top enthusiasm that stuck me as less than serious. Hope the guy isn't sitting in the maintenance shed at his uncles course curled up in the fetal position suffering a mental breakdown after hitting something like eight hundred 7 irons in a row. This game will make you crazy enough as it is let alone trying to maintain a schedule like this guy attempted. It's a lesson for the kids out there.

He got to six days on here, but only four on his blog. Day four is titled "Lazy..."