Journal: Mission to 92

[DaButler]

I am not sure where I should post a journal in the forum but this seemed like the best place. My goal for 2013 is to shooting at least a 92 and lower my average scores to mid to high 90's. Let me know what you guys think, constructive criticism is welcome as well.

I went out by myself today since my playing partners were out of the state. I could only play the first nine because I was rained out but these are my two most recent games I was playing two balls at once so the path that it shows that I took is a little odd. For the most part I was hitting my irons and driver well. I started to slice and hook my driver when it started to rain and I had people right behind me. All around I can work on everything but when you start to shank hits when you are playing by yourself it's harder to shake it off. My short game was average as well I three putted one or two holes but over all I am happy with my short game.

Here are the links to the two scores. I hit the same score for both balls on the front nine.

9/14/13 @ The Claw, Ball 1: Score 58 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5563344/5661937

9/14/13 @ The Claw, Ball 2: Score 58 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5565589/5661937

[Lihu]

Cool. I wish I had done this.

[KinG-NothinG]

Cool idea, gonna be fun to follow.

Best of luck!

[DaButler]

Thank you I'll try to update this as much as I can. I went to the range today to meet up with a friend. I worked on my full swing and practiced putting for 2 hours. I started to really focus on the greens and walked my put before I hit it. That really seemed to help a lot and I'll have to do this next time I am out.

[DaButler]

This week I played two rounds couldn't get in a full 18 holes either time I played. I went to the range with weekend after getting my mizuno Jpx 800's. I have not gotten used to the clubs yet and so far with them I have been slicing everything from a 7 iron up. They add a lot of distance but its nothing without accuracy. I worked on putting a lot this week when I went to the range and it has really helped me improve. I am striking the ball better and I am able to visualize the ball before I hit it. Here are my rounds for this week.

Round 3: The Claw 9/19/13 - https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5616134/5661937

Round 4: Bloomingdale 9/21/13 - I don't have a score for this round because my phone died and we left the score card on the cart. Overall I didn't play well and sliced almost every club I used. Everything connected for me on one hole were I made par with a beautiful.

Next week I am planning on going to the range a few times and just going to work on my full swing and getting better contact with the ball.

[rkim291968]

I recommend "How to break 90" book by Tomasi, et al.

You didn't mention practicing short games.   Good short game leads to shorter putts, and can reduce your total putts per round and your handicap index.   Good luck.

[Meltdwhiskey]

If I read that sheet correctly, it looks like you had a lot of shots going right - and some way right.  FWIW, I might recommend hitting more irons off the tee.  At a 26, you aren't getting a bunch of GIR's anyway I wouldn't think.  So maybe play to get there in 3.

About a year ago, I was hovering around 22-24.  I really wanted to break 90.  I adopted a more conservative policy for tee shots and have been able to get the cap down.  It was so frustrating to start every hole in such trouble.  I've also gotten better at hitting the ball with an additional year of playing, but even now I don't even carry a driver.

[DaButler]

You are reading that right I do hit most of my shots right. Right now it seems to be every club I have I hit to the right

[DaButler]

  rkim291968 said:

I recommend "How to break 90" book by Tomasi, et al.   You didn't mention practicing short games.   Good short game leads to shorter putts, and can reduce your total putts per round and your handicap index.   Good luck.

I defiantly agree with you that is something I have been debating. I don't have much time right now to practice for very long when I go to the range so I try to pick just one thing really lacking. Right now it seems to be hitting shots off the tee and long shots to the green. Should I instead just try to spend 65%/30%/15% on full swing, short game and putting every time I go?

[rkim291968]

  DaButler said:

I defiantly agree with you that is something I have been debating. I don't have much time right now to practice for very long when I go to the range so I try to pick just one thing really lacking. Right now it seems to be hitting shots off the tee and long shots to the green.

Should I instead just try to spend 65%/30%/15% on full swing, short game and putting every time I go?

I can't say what works best for you.   For me, when I was in your shoes not too long ago, I always started my range practice with short game (chipping, pitching, sand, putting), and then ball striking.   I still do the same.   This led me to a solid short game for me as I average less than 32 putts per round now.

BTW, chipping practice don't have to take too long.  I practice hitting a ball to certain distance with SW.   Same swing & tempo with PW will go so many yards longer, 9 iron will go predictable amount longer, etc..   This way, you practice with one club (SW today, PW tomorrow, etc) and you can cover a lot of distance.   This is mentioned in the Breaking 90 book I've mentioned.

You can practice putting at home, on carpet, kitchen floor.   There's a lot you can practice at home if you can't spend too much time at range.

[Dave2512]

Same here those scores are in my recent past. I concentrated not only on becoming a better ball striker but having on course goals with better scores in mind. I knew I could afford to blow up a par 4 here and there but I could look at my cards and see easily prevented wasted strokes on par 3's and 5's. Honestly I still see the strokes I could save on those holes. Not sure what it is about shorter and longer holes but in my experience that is where I see golfers do something stupid. If you know you can hit GIR on a par 5 with two 3w and a mid-short iron why take a chance you'll slice your inconsistent driver OB? The short carry over water par 3. Take an extra club or two and swing easy instead of trying to hit a Bubba wedge. If you thin it you might still get there and the trouble behind and to the sides of the green is better than hitting 3 from the tee and hoping you can 2 putt for double.

Not sure what changed in me but I can honestly say that as my scores dropped my practice seemed to be more worthwhile. What I was working on at the practice facility wasn't different than what I needed to correct on the course and I took it on in chunks. When my former instructor showed me something on video I worked on just that. It was crazy how little things led to big scorecard improvement. I kid you not just working on "straight" left arm took me from the mid 90's to mid 80's here and there in a matter of weeks.

[DaButler]

Thanks for the input guys. I bought the breaking 90 book and just looking at the preview and listening to what you guys are saying makes a lot of sense.

[MacDutch]

Try the bump and run shot when 40-80y from the green. It is a lot easier that way to get the ball on the green. Start training high shots from that distance after you reached your goal

[JCRuzanski]

I second this book... I'm in the process of reading it now... [quote name="rkim291968" url="/t/69978/journal-mission-to-92#post_900991"]I recommend "How to break 90" book by Tomasi, et al.   You didn't mention practicing short games.   Good short game leads to shorter putts, and can reduce your total putts per round and your handicap index.   Good luck. [/quote]

[DaButler]

Ya, have to change my approach to playing. I have always tried to play like the pros on tv and not what I am comfortable with

[JCRuzanski]

Playing within yourself may not result in under par scores, but you will definitely see your errors drop, and thus your score. [quote name="DaButler" url="/t/69978/journal-mission-to-92#post_901884"]Ya, have to change my approach to playing. I have always tried to play like the pros on tv and not what I am comfortable with[/quote]

[DaButler]

I played a few holes the other day and shot a 57 on the front nine. I was listening to what you guys said but about hole 5 I wanted to rip one and of course that's when things really went downhill. The past two days though I have been going back to the basics and working on the proper swing and chipping technique along with putting. I keep on just wanting to rip everything and hit the perfect shots so it's hard for me to play a game where I plan to hit the green in 3 shots on par fours and aim for bogeys. https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5703914/5661937

[scv76]

  MacDutch said:

Try the bump and run shot when 40-80y from the green. It is a lot easier that way to get the ball on the green. Start training high shots from that distance after you reached your goal

^^^^^^^ This works real well for what it is intended for. Used a gap wedge for 40-50, a nine for the next ten yards and so on up to a 7i for the bump and run. Actually got quite a few 1 putts out of this method Still working on the higher shots from this distance, and it is coming along nicely at times