A month to shoot 70's

[jamo]

  Phil McGleno said:

What is the topic again?

Jack vs. Tiger.

[newtogolf]

Poor grammar and spelling is "in" these days.  It's promoted by the politically correct so the stupid don't feel so bad about themselves.  Don't you guys know anything..

[Pretzel]

Your website is third in the nation? I saw missing apostrophes everywhere, but it could have been a rushed article that I read. Either way, the layout of the website is nice so you at least have that part down pretty good.

[Kelzzy]

  Pretzel said:

Your website is third in the nation? I saw missing apostrophes everywhere, but it could have been a rushed article that I read. Either way, the layout of the website is nice so you at least have that part down pretty good.

Probably because we've redesigned the website so when authors used the quotation tool last year, it didn't show this year etc.

Anyway, it was awarded when I was the only writer.. now there are other writers and I don't have time to write anymore.. so that could be a reason.

Day 10

My dad and I worked on my driver swing a great deal today, and also my grip. A couple people hear commented on my "strong" grip, and my dad noticed it as well, although it took a lot of work I've established a much better grip.. something you would see out of a pro.

It helped my game a lot, as I shot a +3 through 9 holes, and the only over par shots I put up were on the first and second, two blow up holes. (First: double bogey, second: bogey). But from there on out, I went on an awesome par streak. The grip has helped my swing be 10x more consitent, and I didn't hit on slice with the irons today. However, I will continue to work on my driver as I want it to be practically every time I hit it it's a nice drive down the center.

[Pretzel]

  Kelzzy said:

Probably because we've redesigned the website so when authors used the quotation tool last year, it didn't show this year etc.

Anyway, it was awarded when I was the only writer.. now there are other writers and I don't have time to write anymore.. so that could be a reason.

It was a recent article, written by you, and you should be able to tell the difference between an apostrophe and a quotation mark.

Anyways that's neither here nor there for a golf forum. What would you say is the thing that you need to work on the most in your game?

[flopster]

Just want to ask what loft is your driver? And second if it's anything lower than 10* you need to either find a higher lofted driver or borrow 1 that's at least 10.5*. If you have an adjustable loft then take it up to 11* at least. Driver is one of my best clubs but I don't take it lower than 10* and I still can get it out there 280 sometimes.

[Kelzzy]

  flopster said:

Just want to ask what loft is your driver? And second if it's anything lower than 10* you need to either find a higher lofted driver or borrow 1 that's at least 10.5*. If you have an adjustable loft then take it up to 11* at least. Driver is one of my best clubs but I don't take it lower than 10* and I still can get it out there 280 sometimes.

I think it's 10.5 but I'm not sure..

  Pretzel said:

It was a recent article, written by you, and you should be able to tell the difference between an apostrophe and a quotation mark.

Anyways that's neither here nor there for a golf forum. What would you say is the thing that you need to work on the most in your game?

Without a doubt, my driver.. however, I'm getting much better.

[Pretzel]

  Kelzzy said:

Without a doubt, my driver.. however, I'm getting much better.

One of the things that helped me learn to control the driver was learning that your driver swing needs to be similar to your other swings. I used to swing out of my shoes with the driver just because it was a driver, which led to me hitting 2-4 fairways a round on average. With a more controlled swing you can hit it just as far since you're usually more relaxed and using better technique.

One last thing to keep in mind is that there's no shame in pulling a 3-wood. I came up with a personal cut-off distance where I know I can hit a 3-wood and then a 7-iron or less. When the par 4 is shorter than the cut-off distance I will hit a 3-wood. If it's past the cut-off distance and doesn't have a dogleg or something to cut around, then I'll hit a driver. On par 5's I also have a second cut-off distance. This is the distance where I know I have a shot at reaching it in two if I hit a driver and a 3-wood. If it's beyond that distance or I don't feel comfortable going for it, I'll hit the 3-wood.

Basically what I'm trying to say here is figure out how long a hole has to be before you really need your driver. There's no point in hitting driver when a shorter club will do the job equally well with a smaller chance for catastrophe.

  flopster said:

Just want to ask what loft is your driver? And second if it's anything lower than 10* you need to either find a higher lofted driver or borrow 1 that's at least 10.5*. If you have an adjustable loft then take it up to 11* at least. Driver is one of my best clubs but I don't take it lower than 10* and I still can get it out there 280 sometimes.

As a counterpoint to this, I feel that it is much more important to have the correct loft than just a generically high loft. While my swing is similar to yours in the regard that I use a 10.5* driver and find it to work just fine for me, I've also played with people who were fitted into a 7.5* driver after adjusting the stock 9* down. They still hit it just as accurate as me with the same distance and everything (likely further to be honest) but it worked for them because it fit their swing.

The only time I've tried lower lofts was at a golf shop when looking around for fun and only in direct comparison to my current driver. While I didn't find any sort of impressive changes, someone else may.

[D-Man]

Where's the updates?  Are you taking a break for the Holidays or what?

[Kelzzy]

Fin[quote name="D-Man" url="/t/71371/a-month-to-shoot-70s/90#post_931640"]Where's the updates?  Are you taking a break for the Holidays or what? [/quote] It was finals week. Wasn't able to hit the course, but I'm out at the course today. Playing real good, I put up an update tonight.

[geauxforbroke]

  Kelzzy said:

Fin

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Man

Where's the updates?  Are you taking a break for the Holidays or what?

It was finals week. Wasn't able to hit the course, but I'm out at the course today. Playing real good, I put up an update tonight.

What happened? You give up? Quit? Get eaten by a liger?

[Kelzzy]

  geauxforbroke said:

What happened? You give up? Quit? Get eaten by a liger?

I've been very very busy. No excuse though. right now my family and I are going to get a Christmas tree. I promise a journal update and much more when i get back.. should be in a couple hours.

[Kelzzy]

Week 1-2

Sorry I haven't been able to write a journal entry.. but a lot, and I mean a lot, has happened in the past 2 weeks. I have worked and worked and worked, both on golf and school. The last week, which I wasn't able to get out to the course, I studied for over 8 hours each day for my finals. Crazy, huh? Anyway, I'm back on the course, and things couldn't be better. (jk, of course they could)

I am a driving machine. The starting of this week I couldn't even get the ball past 50 yards. Now it seems like I can't hit a bad drive. I am freaking bombing my driver like no other, smashing the sweet spot practically every time. Hard work always pays off, no matter what. I can't think of a time where hard work won't pay off. You get what you put out, and I put a lot of work into my driver to get what I have what I do right now. I mean, in all honesty, I can hit the driver over 300 yards consistently. You may think I'm lying, but I'm being 100 percent truthful. I just smash the hell of out my Callaway Razr fit Xtreme. That is a freaking stud, but like I said earlier, hard work pays off.

I'm just not working hard on the course, but in the gym, too. I've been working to build my lower body and upper body, but especially my back muscles. It's really a good combination. Gym, eating healthy, and working on golf every day. A champion combo.

I've played 18-holes three times the past 6 days, my lowest shooting being a 78. I didn't really play that great when I shot the 78, however, my short game was red hot. Although I was hitting great drives, my iron play just wasn't on. However, putting saved me countless strokes. I played with a group, so the pressure was on. I'm really moving forward in my game.

The other two times I played, I shot an 84-82 (82 came tonight) and the 84 was with my friend. I played like crap when I shot the 84, honestly I know I can do much much better, Again tonight, I didn't play like I could have. I had a great streak going from the 6th hole to the 10th, putting up three birdies ... however, I struggled with a few holes on the back nine. I shot a 40 on the front and a 42 on the back. The best part of my game right now is the driver, without a doubt. My putting is adding countless strokes, even though I practice hours upon hours on it.

I feel confident with my game, all around. Even though I failed to break 80 more than once this week, I still feel like I can possibly even break 70 in the next week or so. Why? Because I know my game is there, I can putt, I can smash drives, I can do it all. However, sometimes I don't come through when it matters. Say a 5 foot birdie putt, I'll miss. But I'm getting better, ever day I'm working hard to take just a half of stroke off. I really feel at home with golf and feel the roller coaster has just begun. I look forward to lowering my score even more and possibly even going under par very soon.

Oh, and Christmas is here, which I'm very excited about. I've been wearing the same slacks to the course for the past two weeks (yeah I was them) but hopefully I can get some certified golfing attire, eh? A little birdie told me my mom may take me down to Sac to get fitted for the Titleist AP 714's (or 712's) and I might even get the Scotty Cameron. Oh, and Butch Harmon, woops I mean my Dad, might have bought me a pin seeker. I'm freaking styling after this winter!

P.S. I've been working on a new website called something I'm not going to spam you about here.

P.S.S. I'm looking for writers. Good luck.

P.P.P.S. I don't learn from my mistakes!

Merry Christmas broskis!

[Kelzzy]

Damn, I forgot how good it felt to write these journal entries! looking forward to tomorrows

[flopster]

We are definitely going to have to see some new swing videos in the daylight with driver from all angles

[Kelzzy]

  flopster said:

We are definitely going to have to see some new swing videos in the daylight with driver from all angles

For sure.. my swing has changed a lot. From a light grip, reaching more, and more and more and more. I'll post a video tomorrow.

[Kelzzy]

Heading out now. Got a sick outfit for christmas! Will post video later

[Kelzzy]

Day 23

So, I've played four 18-hole rounds of golf this week, shooting a 78-84-82-80... the 80 coming today. My driver is an unstoppable beast, my irons are getting better as days go on, and my putting is loosing up much much better than it was the beginning of the week. All in all, I'm getting a good feel for how golf is. It's all about that hard work baby. I'm not going to give you a lecture, but I did do a write up on The Sandtrap forum, see the forum post: http://thesandtrap.com/t/71671/the-key-to-a-great-game#post_932962

I shot a 40 on the front nine, and an identical 40 on the back. However, I had a much better back nine ... or maybe I didn't. I just felt more solid on the back. When I pared the 10th and 11th, I felt like I could easily shoot a 34 or 35.. possibly even lower. But the familiar kicked back in.

I was +4 over through 12 holes (even so far on the back nine) when a smashed a tee shot with my hybrid. Landing me straight in the fairway, all I had to do was hit a smooth 8-iron and putt for birdie. However, a slice barely took it over the creek ahead of me. From there, I had a very difficult up and down. The green, a sloping mess, was nothing to play around with. However, I had confidence from the previous pars I made, which included a great two putt par on the 12th, so I knew I would have no trouble with the up and down.

I picked a spot on the green and figured since it was shady and frozen all day, I would give it some lean way to roll. My hard work in the chipping range paid off, as I felt my SW slide under the ball. The ball bounce up and landed right where I wanted it, and rolled down the slope of the hill. It rolled and rolled, and nearly went in. I thought I was going to have a holed birdie, but instead I tapped in for par. It was one of the best up and downs I've ever done.

However, the 14th became a mess fast. Although I bogeyed, I should have easily birdied or pared. An errant tee shot left me with a tough chip, however I failed to get it on the green in one swift motion. A one putt bogey put me at +5.

From there, I went bogey-bogey-par-bogey. It was a nasty stretch, a stretch of carelessness and dumb moves. On the 15th, I didn't account for the extra fringe I would be putting on, and came up very short. On the 16th, I made a beautiful chip to put my ball just 4-5 feet away from the pin, but didn't commit to the putt and two putted for bogey. On the 17th, I made a "ok" drive, which my playing partner thought was great. It was alright, but wasn't what I wanted. However, a SW up and over the trees allowed me to putt for birdie, although I ended up two putting for par.

At this point, I was +7. All I had to do was par the 18th for a 79. The 18th, rated the hardest hole on the golf course, is my favorite. It's the easiest hole for me, because I can get over the hill that nobody else can. From the blues, the top level is about 250-ish yards away from the tee box. It's a massive par four, and most people get stuck on the hill. From there, they have 210+ yards to the green, and with the rocky creek ahead, they have to lay up and take the bogey.

However, like I said, I have no problem getting over the hump. A massive drive, the best of the day for me, left me 140 yards out. (Thanks to my new pin seeker I got for Christmas!) I had it down, and as I walked down to my ball I boasted how this hole is easy. I was being cocky ... the dumbest move a golfer could make. My head got so big, I went up to the ball and chunked the shot I could have made 100 times in a row on the range.

But things were just starting to get messy. I landed myself in the bunker in front of the green. Maintaining a positive look out on things, I said "there's a beautiful lie!".. which is was. But my cockiness didn't go away. I had an easy bunker shot, one I could have made with my eyes closed. But I wasn't humble and pissed off the golfing Gods, and flew it over the green. A two putt bogey (since the 18th combines with the practice putting green, you get free relief back to the green if you fly it), I made bogey. Instead of the 79 I should have had, I put up an 80.

But there were so many little mistakes that i could have fixed. Say, the three putt on the 16th... or the two putt bogey on previous holes. It's all coming together, but I need to work extra hard on minimizing dumb, little mistakes. Golf is a game of the mind, and once you get too big of a head and start losing that strength in the mind, you will fail. I'll keep that in mind next time I think I have it in the bag.