Breaking Bad Club - A Thread for Golfers Trying to Break 100

[Hiway1tele]

2 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

Nope. We're not going to let you have all the fun. 

After averaging in the upper 90's last year, I'm back up over 100 in 2017... and it isn't like I'm playing from the back tees.

It's been a nice change of pace though... almost liberating. I still practice and am trying to improve -  and I believe improvement will come by the end of summer - but I haven't been stressing about it. The full swing feels pretty good most days and I do enjoy hitting those irons cleanly, even if I can't score worth a damn once I'm on the green.

If there's any take-away from the last several years, it's that if working my tail off only gets me to the high 90's, what's the point? Life is too short to spend all my free time pissing into the wind. If I can't learn to play well, I can at least try and learn to enjoy the game I have.

Agree whole heartedly.....I can practice until I turn blue..No talent, no swing..will never get any better..so why bother..

[JonMA1]

7 hours ago, Hiway1tele said:

Agree whole heartedly.....I can practice until I turn blue..No talent, no swing..will never get any better..so why bother..

I'm not saying I'll never get any better, but the improvement will never be anything to write home about.

As far as practice, I enjoy working on incremental or subtle changes and seeing if I can accomplish anything in the way of working out a problem. At that level of "tinkering", practice has been very enjoyable so far this year.

But no longer am I'm going to agonize and stress over the lack of improvement.

[krupa]

Played 9 between rain storms.  Haven't seen the course that wet before.

However, I ended up tying my best 9 hole score: 49.    Had some stupid (bad) tee shots but managed to recover well with my irons.

[Double Par]

On 5/31/2014 at 5:01 PM, BrownCoast said:

my advice would be if you loose balls from the tee box try playing a round with out your driver or 3 wood. find the "longest" club you straight with and use that from the tee box. I have played a few rounds myself where the longest clubs in my bag were a 5 wood and then went to a 4 hybrid and 5 iron next. i broke 100! is it fun and exciting no not really but its so much better playing from the fairway then the rough or O.B. and at the end of the round or after 9 holes and your card reads 48 (after 9 holes) or 97-99 (after 18) then yes it becomes fun and exciting and makes you want to play another round. hope this helps

 

I have done this to break 100. I used my 7 iron from the tee box. This was also on my league nights, so you can imagine the comments I was receiving. They weren't laughing when my high handicap beat them, with them giving me strokes.  I did not start each hole off with an OB shot, or a terrible lie. 

 

I dont even even have my driver in my golf bag and and i use my 3 wood (witch I think I am going to be leaving at home also). This is the area where I have the most trouble, is getting out of the box with a decent second shot. 

[JonMA1]

Shot a 55 today in a solo round today. Could not dial in any club face control - may have had to do with constantly hitting out of the thick rough. Hit just one green in regulation and it wasn't like my 2-way misses were slight. Lol. I was really out of sync or something. Everything was coming up short on what felt like good contact. 

At least I had all the time in the world to work on my putting due to super slow play ahead of me. I'm trying a longer, slower backstroke on shorter putts to see if that might help start the ball on line.

[Brad W]

First post of the season.  First time I've had anything to talk about

my longer term goals are to break 100  my short term is to not pick up after hitting double par.  In other words, stop going over double par.  I only started a year ago and my area has a short season.  I think I've only play around five full rounds  

had my best round today.   I recorded a legit 112.

Had plenty of terrible shots, but had moments of brilliance too. It's the later I suspect is what it's all about. 

Pretty stoked with the day really.  Looking forward too next time.  No doubt I'll tank it :)

 

 

 

 

[krupa]

Went to the course yesterday to play 18; quit after nine. 61 

[Lanceromance]

1 hour ago, krupa said:

Went to the course yesterday to play 18; quit after nine. 61 

Why did you abandon the round?. Was there not things you could work on in the back nine, or did the daylight catch up with you?

[krupa]

9 minutes ago, Lanceromance said:

Why did you abandon the round?. Was there not things you could work on in the back nine, or did the daylight catch up with you?

Some rounds deserved to be abandoned.   After a 61 there were plenty of things I could have worked on.   However, sometimes it's better for me to just stop and come back to it another day.

It may be worth noting that I was playing alone; I didn't take off on anyone.

[JonMA1]

9 minutes ago, krupa said:

Some rounds deserved to be abandoned.   After a 61 there were plenty of things I could have worked on.   However, sometimes it's better for me to just stop and come back to it another day.

It may be worth noting that I was playing alone; I didn't take off on anyone.

I've been there. There are those rare days when I know nothing good will come about from continuing. 

Seems like you've been experiencing some improvement of late, correct? You likely know this, but even the better players experience a great round followed by a crappy one. I just read some post about shooting a 71 followed by a round in the 80's.

You'll shoot more scores in the 40's even if they don't occur as frequently as you'd like.

Keep at it and enjoy the good shots.

[skram]

I agree with Krupa about some rounds needing abandoning. I played one a while ago where it was going so poorly and I was not having fun. After 6 holes, I made a difficult goal for the next three holes and if I made the goal, I would continue on and if not I'd stop (I was playing alone as well).  Hole 7 was great, Hole 8 was okay and Hole 9 was close. It turned around some, but just fell short of my goal. I was pleased, but wasn't enough and was getting late, so I stopped.

I'm also experiencing what JonMA1 says about a crappy round following a great one. Last week I had the best round ever (93, including a 5 hole par streak) and then the next day I shot a 108.  I did break 100 again last night though (98).  

Last year I did break it a couple of times, but it was always followed by going to back to the usual score.

[krupa]

6 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

I've been there. There are those rare days when I know nothing good will come about from continuing. 

Seems like you've been experiencing some improvement of late, correct? You likely know this, but even the better players experience a great round followed by a crappy one. I just read some post about shooting a 71 followed by a round in the 80's.

You'll shoot more scores in the 40's even if they don't occur as frequently as you'd like.

Keep at it and enjoy the good shots.

Yeah, it usually happens that way for me too.  Good round - bad round -good round...  

I really need to go to the range and practice.  The problem is that the closest range (attached to a cousre) is either closed because of too much rain, or they haven't collected balls, etc.  When they are open, they don't have accurate yard markers; they have flags and a map showing yardage to each flag, but the map and flags don't line up.  In short, you have no idea how far you're hitting your clubs!  The other ranges are 30 minutes away which isn't huge, but still makes it harder to get to, especially when my course is around the corner from my house.

[JonMA1]

1 hour ago, krupa said:

I really need to go to the range and practice.  The problem is that the closest range (attached to a cousre) is either closed because of too much rain, or they haven't collected balls, etc.  When they are open, they don't have accurate yard markers; they have flags and a map showing yardage to each flag, but the map and flags don't line up.  In short, you have no idea how far you're hitting your clubs!  The other ranges are 30 minutes away which isn't huge, but still makes it harder to get to, especially when my course is around the corner from my house.

Sounds like someone needs a $30k home simulator, 'cause if you're like me, you have that kind of cash just laying around.

Seriously, that sucks to not have an adequate practice facility. In regards to distance control, is the only practice you get on the course?

1 hour ago, krupa said:

Yeah, it usually happens that way for me too.  Good round - bad round -good round...

1 hour ago, skram said:

Last week I had the best round ever (93, including a 5 hole par streak) and then the next day I shot a 108.  I did break 100 again last night though (98).  

While I don't shoot too many 93's, what you've described I've come to expect from my game as well. It's not a self-fulfilled prophecy thing or being over confident. Whatever the reason is, it just happens. Sounds like it's typical.

FWIW, because I've become more accustomed to it, it's a bit less frustrating than it used to be.

[krupa]

2 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

Sounds like someone needs a $30k home simulator, 'cause if you're like me, you have that kind of cash just laying around.

I floated that idea once without mentioning cost.  We have a room in the house that we don't use right now.  It used to be a back patio that a previous owner had converted into a 'sun room'.  It has a nice high ceiling and as I said, we don't use it for anything right now.  The SO was having none of it.

2 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

Seriously, that sucks to not have an adequate practice facility. In regards to distance control, is the only practice you get on the course?

Yeah it's a drag.  Since I'm kind of complaining anyway, I may as well throw this out as well.  My course's practice greens (we have two) are both mostly flat while the greens on the course have a lot of contour so I can't really practice that much either.  

I have gone back and forth about posting in this thread since I don't practice nearly enough; without practice I don't feel like I'm really "trying" to break 100.  I would say that I get zero "distance control practice".  When I go to the range I like, I pitch/chip at the flags but I have no idea how far away they are (there are big yardage markers and then flags interspersed with those.)  Otherwise, I just practice full swings and see how far they go. 

[Hiway1tele]

6 minutes ago, krupa said:

I floated that idea once without mentioning cost.  We have a room in the house that we don't use right now.  It used to be a back patio that a previous owner had converted into a 'sun room'.  It has a nice high ceiling and as I said, we don't use it for anything right now.  The SO was having none of it.

Yeah it's a drag.  Since I'm kind of complaining anyway, I may as well throw this out as well.  My course's practice greens (we have two) are both mostly flat while the greens on the course have a lot of contour so I can't really practice that much either.  

I have gone back and forth about posting in this thread since I don't practice nearly enough; without practice I don't feel like I'm really "trying" to break 100.  I would say that I get zero "distance control practice".  When I go to the range I like, I pitch/chip at the flags but I have no idea how far away they are (there are big yardage markers and then flags interspersed with those.)  Otherwise, I just practice full swings and see how far they go. 

I agree with you,krupa, on the walk off...I have walked off of rounds when I have been by myself as well..when its all going wrong, your pissed and frustrated, why bother..go do something else...

Optishot Makes an affordable similator, if you have the room, and a spare PC/Laptop..for 399.00..it tends to be light sensitive and has a swing flaw once or twice a round, but its close to being correct 85-90% of the time..you can display the screen on an ext monitor or a tv..you can either hit real balls, plastic balls, or no balls with it..

 

[Brad W]

1 hour ago, krupa said:

I floated that idea once without mentioning cost.  We have a room in the house that we don't use right now.  It used to be a back patio that a previous owner had converted into a 'sun room'.  It has a nice high ceiling and as I said, we don't use it for anything right now.  The SO was having none of it.

Yeah it's a drag.  Since I'm kind of complaining anyway, I may as well throw this out as well.  My course's practice greens (we have two) are both mostly flat while the greens on the course have a lot of contour so I can't really practice that much either.  

I have gone back and forth about posting in this thread since I don't practice nearly enough; without practice I don't feel like I'm really "trying" to break 100.  I would say that I get zero "distance control practice".  When I go to the range I like, I pitch/chip at the flags but I have no idea how far away they are (there are big yardage markers and then flags interspersed with those.)  Otherwise, I just practice full swings and see how far they go. 

If I had your situation, I'd just practice clean contact and hitting straight. Then get an idea of club distance using one of the many charts out there. On course is a learning experience anyway, so just assume you are on the low end of average for distance and go up a club. If you went too far, well, you just learned your clubs in relation to the course instead of a fix target at a range (or lack there of)

make the best of what you've got is all that comes to my mind

[MarvChamp]

Do you guys/gals recall Golf Digest's series called "Breaking 100/80/90"? I picked up the book they published a few years ago. Lots of great "little" tips. One for breaking 100 is to leave the driver home, hit an iron of the tee and for second shots down to or within the 100 yard marker...Whatever distance that will get you safely home.  The idea is to stay in the fairway, get on par 4's in 3 and par 5's in 4; then two-putt.

I actually did that with a 3-iron a few years ago and scored a 91 in a tournament. Frankly, it was really hard to stick with that game plan because my ego kept asking for the driver. I am going to do it again this weekend using a 3 DIR Hy or 4 DIR Hy of the tee. I will not take a driver or fairway wood with me. AND I intend to play the appropriate tees. I am focused on getting the HI down, and lowest score wins! -Marv

[uitar9]

Played 18 with a client yesterday. We are always comparing our latest best scores. Played his private course. Very hot. Rode power carts. Played the mens blues, 6400 yards. Shot a 107, he shot a 98. 

On a  positive note, stayed in the confines of the fairway all game, no lost balls. 

The greens are super fast but the roll is perfect. Left 4 or 5 putts an inch from the hole, and lipped out a couple of others.

Couple of chunks but most errant shots came from approach shots. Misses were all left and close to the green. (lefty)

Gonna spend a few minutes on the range over lunch and see if I figure that out.

While I would have preferred the whites , had a fun day , great weather, great company. Couple of times we hit off the tips by accident. I didn't know the course. We had a good laugh over that.