Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
IGNORED

Scratch..................


Note: This thread is 5036 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Posted
Originally Posted by TourSpoon

What do you feel was the biggest obstacle to overcome?

For me, the biggest obstacles to overcome were bogeys.  LOL

All kidding aside, it was an overall progression in the game.  Keeping the ball in play, hitting more greens, saving more pars, putting better.....etc, etc....it wasn't any 1 thing.  .......it was an overall progression of everything.

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch


Posted
Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Awesome acheivement!  Go Bucks!  I hope to one day start a thread like this...

A few other points...

(1.) It's interesting to see that you shot an 85 is in the last 20 rounds...  I guess I shouldn't feel like jumping off a cliff the next time I post an 80+?

(2.) You're home course looks legit; 72.5/137 and 75.1/141 is brutal.

thanks....I remember that 85 well.  LOL.......I just rolled out of the wrong side of the bed that morning.  I confess to letting that one get away by not caring anymore once things went in the wrong direction, I helped the bad mojo along by taking on some stupid unnecessary risks because I was playing golf mad.  LOL

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch


Posted
Congratulations! That is an achievement to be really proud of. I can only dream of getting somewhere close at one point.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
Congrats, that's huge! I always notice your scores in the "What'd you shoot today?" thread and knew you were getting close. Keep it up and find the other side. :-)

Driver: TaylorMade SuperFast 2.0 -- 10.5* Woods: TaylorMade SuperFast 2.0 -- 3w 15*, 5w 18* Hybrid: TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 Rescue -- 4h 21* Irons: TaylorMade Burner Plus -- 5-AW Wedges: TaylorMade RAC -- 56.12, 60.07 Putter: TaylorMade Spider Ghost -- 35" Ball: It's complicated.


Posted

Great work, very inspiring!  What has been your favorite golf memory along the way?

Why do they call golf "golf"?  Because all the other four letter words were taken.

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Administrator
Posted
Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

Leave it to Iacas to split hairs...

I'm just trying to relieve the pressure if you go out and lose by a stroke to some guy!

Good job! Like I said, now get it down to 0.3 and you won't have to worry about it at all!

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Moderator
Posted

Wow! Congrats man!  That is a huge achievement and one I hope to make in the future....I just hope it doesn't take me another 20 years....

Bryan A
"Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same"

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

Wow, congrats - hope to be there myself someday! You are eligible to qualify for the US Open with that handicap


Posted
Outstanding! Most golfers, even those on this forum simply can't begin to understand how difficult that is......even for relatively good golfers. I've played to the low/mid single digits for nearly 20 years and have never gotten below 3.2. Those last 3 strokes just don't leave ANY room for slop or indifference. Good on ya!

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
Originally Posted by 0ldblu3

Great work, very inspiring!  What has been your favorite golf memory along the way?

My favorite memories are the good times spent with friends and family on the course.   I have holed some pretty insane shots over the years that I will never forget, but the time spent with friends and family mean the most to me.

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch


Posted
Originally Posted by David in FL

Outstanding!

Most golfers, even those on this forum simply can't begin to understand how difficult that is......even for relatively good golfers. I've played to the low/mid single digits for nearly 20 years and have never gotten below 3.2. Those last 3 strokes just don't leave ANY room for slop or indifference.

Good on ya!

Thanks......

To be honest, I never really thought it would happen for me because my annual golf-goal is to not get worse!   .....and when you least expect it, it happens!

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch


Posted
My favorite memories are the good times spent with friends and family on the course.   I have holed some pretty insane shots over the years that I will never forget, but the time spent with friends and family mean the most to me.

You are a class act to boot! Great answer. You said that it took 20 years. Do you have a timeline of how you progressed to scratch? I think that this whole thread is giving the readers a real perspective on what a journey it has been.

Callaway AI Smoke TD Max 10.5* | Cobra Big Tour 15.5* | Rad Tour 18.5* | Titleist U500 4i | T100 5-P | Vokey 50/8* F, 54/10* S,  58/10* S | Scotty Cameron Squareback 1


Posted
Originally Posted by TourSpoon

You are a class act to boot! Great answer.

You said that it took 20 years. Do you have a timeline of how you progressed to scratch? I think that this whole thread is giving the readers a real perspective on what a journey it has been.

Thanks!

1992 is when I officially got hooked, got serious about the game, and started playing more than once a week/every week.  By the end of that year, I broke 100 for the first time.  1996 was the first year I kept an official HC and I remember being a 12-13hc.  From 1997-1999, I gravitated to a 8-10HC.  I played to a 7-9HC from 2000-2005.  Improvement was so non-existent I gave up hope on improvement and accepted the fate of being a high single digit forever. I smashed through the brick wall and reached a 4hc in 2006.  2007-2009....I hovered in the 3-4 range and reached 2hc for the first time.  I hovered in the 1-3hc(mostly 2-3) range 2010-2011.    My lowest index in 2011 was 0.9 and it wasn't until this week that I beat it.

This is a very general description of my progression...... there were definitely many peaks and valleys along the way.  It only took 20yrs, but I finally got to 0. LOL

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch


Posted

Congrats Buckeye! I hope I will improve enough to have a similar story.  I do not care if it takes me 20 years.


Posted

Congrats....that is quite an accomplishment.

"Getting paired with you is the equivalent to a two-stroke penalty to your playing competitors"  -- Sean O'Hair to Rory Sabbatini (Zurich Classic, 2011)


  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
How did the update treat you?

Driver: TaylorMade SuperFast 2.0 -- 10.5* Woods: TaylorMade SuperFast 2.0 -- 3w 15*, 5w 18* Hybrid: TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 Rescue -- 4h 21* Irons: TaylorMade Burner Plus -- 5-AW Wedges: TaylorMade RAC -- 56.12, 60.07 Putter: TaylorMade Spider Ghost -- 35" Ball: It's complicated.


Note: This thread is 5036 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    Carl's Place
    PlayBetter
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • I would think of it in terms of time. The time it takes to get the arm angle into a good position to deliver the club with proper shaft lean. Another component is rotation, but that is also a matter of timing. It relates to how the body stalls to give the golfer time to hit the ball. If you have to get 80+ degrees out of that right elbow in one third of a second versus 50 degrees in the same time then you have to steal time from somewhere. It is usually body rotation. That does not help with shaft lean.  I agree in that amateurs tend to make the swing more complicated than pro golfers. 
    • I haven't been able to practice like I wanted and won't for the next week.  1. The weather sucks in Ohio this year. I have been mostly inside hitting foam balls. Just kind of my basic stuff.  2. I woke up last Saturday with a left side rib muscle on fire. If I turned or leaned a certain way it would spasm that almost buckled my knees. I have been taking a break to let that settle. I don't want to get a long term injury. I think I pinched a nerve or just aggravated a muscles.   3. I am going on a mini-vacation to Florida (screw you Ohio weather) with a friend, and rolling that into a work conference I have next week. I will be with out my clubs for a week.  I will be back next in two Fridays to hit the ground running with some warmer temps and better weather in Ohio, hopefully. I would really like to get more out on the course and the range.     
    • Day 580 - 2026-05-04 Played eight holes. Sometimes golf kicks you in the nuts. 😉 
    • I work with a lot of golfers who want more shaft lean at impact, who currently have AoAs that range from +2° to -2°, and who love to see the handle lower and more "in front of their trail thigh" from face-on at P6. And a lot of these golfers try to solve the issue by working on the downswing. They do something to drag the handle forward. Or they just leave their right thigh farther back so the same handle location "looks" farther forward. Or they move the ball back in their stance. Or they push themselves down into the ground to get the handle lower and increase (decrease?) their AoA (to be more negative). The real fix is often to get wider in the backswing. To do LESS in the backswing. To hinge less, fold the trail arm less, abduct the trail arm less. I had a case of this over the weekend. Before, the player had 110° of trail elbow bend, "lifted" his trail humerus only a few degrees, etc. The club traveled quite a bit around him, and he tended to "pick" the ball from the fairways. In the "after" swings below (which are mild exaggerations — this golfer does not need to end up at < 70° of elbow bend. These were slower backswings with "hit it as hard as you normally would" intent downswings), you can see that he bent his elbow about 70° instead of 110° and lifted his right arm an extra ~15° or more. You can't see how much less this moved his hands across his chest (right arm abduction), but it was also decreased. His hands stayed more "in front of" his right shoulder rather than traveling "beside" them so much. The two swings look like this: The change at P6, without talking about the downswing one little bit (outside of him telling me that he tends to pick the ball), is remarkable: Without 110° of elbow bend to get out (which he gets to 80°, a loss of 30°), the golfer actually loses slightly less elbow bend (70 - 50 = 20), but delivers 30° less elbow bend, lowering the handle and letting the elbow get "in front of" the rib cage… because it never got "behind" or "beside" the rib cage. If you look at this video showing the before/afters of P6, you'll note the handle location (both vertically and horizontally) and the shoulders (the ball is in the same place in these frames). This golfer's path was largely unaffected (still pretty straight into the ball, < 3° path and often < 1.5°), but his AoA jumped to -5° ± 2°. I've always said, and in talking with other instructors they agree and feel similarly, that we spend a lot of time working on the backswing. This is another example of why.
    • We had a member of our senior club who developed a mental block on pulling the trigger. I played with him to see what the membership was talking about. I timed him a few times when he would get over the ball. 45 seconds. He knew he had a mental block and would chide himself, “Just hit it!” Once on the green he was okay and chipping was a bit better. It was painful to watch him struggle. Our “bandaid” was to put him in the last tournament  tee time with two understanding players. We should have suggested to him to take a break from our tournaments. I agree with the idea that when a player realizes they have a problem, the answer is to go fix it and not return until they are able to play at an acceptable pace.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.