Journal: Mission to 92

[DaButler]

I went out golfing twice this week. I was taking my swinging really easy along with allowing myself to mess up because before I had to much expectations that I would hit every ball perfect. I took your guys advice and started to pitch and roll/chip putt when im 40-80 yards out when its possible, I must say it has been working out.

I am liking the progress I can tell if I tighten up my game and keep on practicing I will be playing much better, I am still waiting for my book to arrive so I can start to read it. Anyways these are the 2 rounds I played this week.

10/02/13: 52 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5750115/5661937 I can't say there was anything memorable this course.

10/05/13: 108 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5784349/5661937 This is a very tough course so I am glad I did this well.

[rkim291968]

  DaButler said:

10/05/13: 108 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5784349/5661937  This is a very tough course so I am glad I did this well.

That's a pretty good FH ratio but a lot of putts even for someone with your handicap.   You can practice putting at home easily and quickly lower your handicap by a few strokes.   I barely play bogey golf but average only 31+ putts per 18 hole round.   You would have broken 100 easily if you putted 32.

Anyway, let us know what you think about the book.   It's an easy/fun read and can probably read the entire book in one seating.  Implementing what's in the book will take a lot longer .

[nick1998bunker]

Shouldn't take too much time to reach your goal, you'll see dramatic improvements. As for putting speed is what I and a lot of people have trouble with on long putts and that will reduce your putts greatly

[DaButler]

Ya putting that day was difficult I kept on missing really close putts and could not read the green. Of course that's what I didn't practice before heading out. I will say however even when I was landing on the green I was giving myself difficult putts because I would be 30 feet away on a green I can barely judge the distance on. Anyways it was a fun day. I went to the range with my good friend and his father, who's a 7-8 handicap, he changed my swing to make me drive through and down at the ball. It's going to take me a couple of weeks to get that down. I have the tendency to rotate my hips before impact and lift my head making me hit the ground before the ball. When I had the technique down for a few shots it felt as if I had a lot more control since I wasn't rotating my body nearly as much as in my normal swing. The chipping green at my driving range is pretty pathetic so it makes it hard to work on that aspect of my game. Anyways, I'm looking forward to getting to the range and the course whenever I can fit it in this week.

[Lihu]

  rkim291968 said:

That's a pretty good FH ratio but a lot of putts even for someone with your handicap.   You can practice putting at home easily and quickly lower your handicap by a few strokes.   I barely play bogey golf but average only 31+ putts per 18 hole round.   You would have broken 100 easily if you putted 32.

Anyway, let us know what you think about the book.   It's an easy/fun read and can probably read the entire book in one seating.  Implementing what's in the book will take a lot longer .

Putting 32 is not so easy to do. It either means an up and down or 1 putt from an approach. In one case par and the other case a birdie.

I think the approach for us higher handicappers is to hit really conservatively. For instance, if you hit a 7 iron 150 then try to hit it 135, and a 9 iron 130 try for 120, etc.

The main emphasis is pointing the grooves perpendicular to the target line. It's really hard for us to get the distance perfect too, so just aim for the pin. If it goes over, use a shorter club the next go a round. This is the strategy I used before to get my handicap down with such a horrible form and terrible ball striking. Even if I couldn't hit the ball to the green, I could roll it.

That strategy probably won't change even as my ball striking is getting a little bit better.

[DaButler]

So you are saying just swing nice and easy to make sure the fundamentals are right? If so that is what I was doing at bloomingdale and I completely agree with you.

[Lihu]

  DaButler said:

So you are saying just swing nice and easy to make sure the fundamentals are right? If so that is what I was doing at bloomingdale and I completely agree with you.

Yes, I suppose that is what I am saying.

Once I started doing that yesterday, the round was very unexceptional and my score was not too bad even with the topped drives and bad lies I put myself into. The other bit of advice was from "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy". "Don't Panic".

[MissouriHack]

I would agree with Lihu. Sounds like were all in the same boat. The only thing I will say is that I would not chase pins. If the pins are tight and you might miss the green and then your scrambling for par or a two putt bogey. Aim for the center of the green and at least you'll have a birdie putt. It might be a forty footer but its still a shot. You might even have a good miss that puts you right by the hole. You are doing the exact same thing that I was doing last year. Next you'll start replacing those bogies with pars and you'll see your scores drop. Practice a punch shot that will get you back on the fairway. Remember that shot that Tiger Woods hit and it went under a low hanging branch cut around a big oak and landed on the green six inches from the pin? Don't try that, your not him.:-P

[DaButler]

Lol thanks for the input. I agree with you

[DaButler]

Just played a round today. I never did get any putting practice in over the week. I plan on doing that this week since I'm done with some exams for a little while. This last round I played with my girlfriend and it was a little more stressful then usual lol so I wasn't really taking my time on each shot. Putting was still pretty bad along with my iron distances. I never had my driver this game either I sliced most shots. 10/12/13 115: https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5841146/5661937

[DaButler]

I was able to go out twice today and played some of the best golf I've ever played. The first round I was feeling it then of course I had to pull out my driver and be cute on the forth hole. I hooked the ball into the woods and had to take a penalty, I knew before that it was a bad idea and that probably didn't help. The rest of the match I could feel the shoulder I pulled from the other week and it made me not strike the ball as well as I could've. Overall I had fun and started from the hole back to the tee when selecting clubs. My short game was not on that round however. The second round was also a good round and my short game felt really good except for a few 3 putts and one double bunker shot. I hit a lot of sand, 5-6, that round but was still able to pull off a few pars. I don't really have any excuses for my second round I did however play the best 18 holes ever. Let me know what you guys think and also let me know if I should write a fuller analysis I always end up writing these things late at night and don't go into much detail. Round 1: 47 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5873254/5661937 Round 2: 99 https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/viewroundtrack/5897424/5661937 I like the avatar lol

[rkim291968]

Hey, DaButler.   Did you get a chance to read How To Break 90 book?  If so, what do you think of it?

[DaButler]

I like it. I don't feel like I excute my shots well enough to really be able to take advantage of the principals in the book, yet.