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

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="RFKFREAK" url="/t/74913/breaking-bad-club-a-thread-for-those-trying-to-break-100/450#post_1082061"] Yeah, I'm hoping [@=/u/1/iacas]@iacas[/@] does another golf weekend next year to meet more folks from TST as I couldn't make it this year.[/QUOTE] It is likely, but not necessarily definite… we may just have the Newport Cup in CA. But I can probably do both.

Is the Newport Cup something even the non-competitive prople can still play? I'm asking if we can have potentially more foursomes than just the four groups competing?

[Gipper]

I hope your hunting season went better than mine. Good luck with the move. I have no idea of what the weather is like in Pittsburgh or in Avon, but a longer golf season would be nice.

My hunting season was rough.... I was at full draw on a 130" nice buck but let him walk because I had seen lots of 150-170" deer. I saw them again but never within my bow range. Ohhhh well

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonMA1

I hope your hunting season went better than mine.

Good luck with the move. I have no idea of what the weather is like in Pittsburgh or in Avon, but a longer golf season would be nice.

My hunting season was rough.... I was at full draw on a 130" nice buck but let him walk because I had seen lots of 150-170" deer. I saw them again but never within my bow range. Ohhhh well

This is kind of OT, but I tend to need to get within 15 yards at the exact angle needed for the perfect shot. I need to stalk around the animal for a while trying not to scare it away. Getting both lungs and the heart is pretty hard to do without stalking. The other difference is that I use a recurve (PSE Coyote) bow.

I also have a 65 pound PSE Talon, but find it's too hard to pull back without making a lot of noise. So, I switched to a 55 pound Coyote.

Back on topic:

Should we start a string of posts related to improving tee shots?

[RFKFREAK]

It is likely, but not necessarily definite… we may just have the Newport Cup in CA. But I can probably do both.

Awesome! PT - What's the Newport Cup? I thought that was an old Champions Tour tournament.

[iacas]

Is the Newport Cup something even the non-competitive prople can still play? I'm asking if we can have potentially more foursomes than just the four groups competing?

No. Competitors only.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Is the Newport Cup something even the non-competitive prople can still play? I'm asking if we can have potentially more foursomes than just the four groups competing?

No. Competitors only.

Bummer, I think the west coast already has many more than 8 really good players.

Wait. . ., are there going to be open qualifiers?

[iacas]

Wait. . ., are there going to be open qualifiers?

No.

Get into the single digits by then. :)

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Wait. . ., are there going to be open qualifiers?

No.

Get into the single digits by then. :)

Going to need a lot more lessons from Mike. . .but still. . .too many of the guys in CA are in the low singles, I might just go to spectate.

[JonMA1]

For those of us trying to self-evalutate swing video, what's the criteria used to decide when we've reached an acceptable level with the key we're working on before  working on to the next? Or is the idea to perfect each key before moving forward?

[Lihu]

For those of us trying to self-evalutate swing video, what's the criteria used to decide when we've reached an acceptable level with the key we're working on before  working on to the next? Or is the idea to perfect each key before moving forward?

I'm no expert on this subject, but I have found that it is iterative.

That is, I work on Key 1 till it's good, then start key 2. Then I need to work on key 1 again. If I start to add elements of other keys into my swing, it might adversely affect my previous key. Then i need to work out why it made my previous key worse. For reference, I feel that I am at about 1.4 keys (on the course) when I make my best possible swing at this point. So, I am stuck between key 1 and key 2.

As far as self assessment, you need to be pretty self critical in a scientific manner. I don't mean "My muscles are sagging" type of critique. I mean that you need to break down what is failing in your previous key as you integrate new ones into your swing. Do the swing without the change and with the change, and figure out why it's not working. If you are stuck and can't figure out why, I would post a video and one of the instructors or more experiences players on this site can help you.

Here's a reference: http://thesandtrap.com/t/67014/keys-vs-handicap-share-your-data

[JonMA1]

I'm no expert on this subject, but I have found that it is iterative.

That is, I work on Key 1 till it's good, then start key 2. Then I need to work on key 1 again. If I start to add elements of other keys into my swing, it might adversely affect my previous key. Then i need to work out why it made my previous key worse. For reference, I feel that I am at about 1.4 keys (on the course) when I make my best possible swing at this point. So, I am stuck between key 1 and key 2.

As far as self assessment, you need to be pretty self critical in a scientific manner. I don't mean "My muscles are sagging" type of critique. I mean that you need to break down what is failing in your previous key as you integrate new ones into your swing. Do the swing without the change and with the change, and figure out why it's not working. If you are stuck and can't figure out why, I would post a video and one of the instructors or more experiences players on this site can help you.

Here's a reference: http://thesandtrap.com/t/67014/keys-vs-handicap-share-your-data

You may not think you're an expert, but that advice seems very logical. It goes along with what I thought/hoped would be right.

I skipped ahead to key #2 a while back, felt I'd made some decent progress making a centered turn and getting weight forward (thanks in no small part to Mike). I'm now back to key #1 (I take a lot of video but only post to My Swing when I think I've accomplished a small goal).

Anyway, as you indicated I can see having to go back and work on previous keys as the work progresses. For example, while working on keeping my head steady, I started trying to make a fuller swing. This of course effects not only the steady head but weight distribution at the top and subsequent weight shift on the DS.

Thanks a lot for the response Lihu.

[iacas]

For those of us trying to self-evalutate swing video, what's the criteria used to decide when we've reached an acceptable level with the key we're working on before  working on to the next? Or is the idea to perfect each key before moving forward?

Keys aren't necessarily in order. Some good players need to work on Key #2. Some poor players need to start with Key #4.

It's mostly about choosing your priority piece, sticking to it, and then re-evaluating.

[RFKFREAK]

Keys aren't necessarily in order. Some good players need to work on Key #2. Some poor players need to start with Key #4. It's mostly about choosing your priority piece, sticking to it, and then re-evaluating.

@iacas , for high handicappers like lots of us in this thread are, is there a method you would suggest to self diagnose which Key to work on at first or at a given time?

[iacas]

@iacas, for high handicappers like lots of us in this thread are, is there a method you would suggest to self diagnose which Key to work on at first or at a given time?

Beyond the obvious… a little more obvious: if it's contact primarily, it's Keys #1-#3. Flight is #4 or #5.

But… prioritization is one of the things that separate good instructors from others, and so asking average golfers to see everything AND be able to prioritize it is often asking quite a bit.

Of the mid-handicappers who come in and share their own diagnosis, about 5% are reasonably close.*

They might say "I fat the ball" but not know why. That's what I mean by diagnosis - the "why" stuff, not the "what" stuff.

[RFKFREAK]

Beyond the obvious… a little more obvious: if it's contact primarily, it's Keys #1-#3. Flight is #4 or #5. But… prioritization is one of the things that separate good instructors from others, and so asking average golfers to see everything AND be able to prioritize it is often asking quite a bit. Of the mid-handicappers who come in and share their own diagnosis, about 5% are reasonably close.* [SPOILER=*]They might say "I fat the ball" but not know why. That's what I mean by diagnosis - the "why" stuff, not the "what" stuff.[/SPOILER]

Well, I'd venture to guess that for those of us trying to regularly break 100, it's primarily contact issues so Keys 1, 2, & 3 would probably be best to focus on. Personally, I plan to continue to listen to those with much more golf knowledge than I possess although that shouldn't be too hard to find, haha.

[JonMA1]

Keys aren't necessarily in order. Some good players need to work on Key #2. Some poor players need to start with Key #4.

It's mostly about choosing your priority piece, sticking to it, and then re-evaluating.

I didn't realize this. Thought I was breaking the standards by putting key #2 as my priority piece even if I had my reasons. I feel a lot better about that decision, the advice I received and the work put into it. As always seems to be the case, you guys were right about sticking to a priority piece.

If you know of any pros in my area (Northern Michigan) who subscribe to your philosophy, please let me know. The closest 5SK instructor I can find is in Toledo.

Thank you Erik.

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

Well, I'd venture to guess that for those of us trying to regularly break 100, it's primarily contact issues so Keys 1, 2, & 3 would probably be best to focus on.

Seems reasonable for most of us. But as mentioned above, there are high cappers who makes decent contact but regularly miss left and right. I'd love to get back to the point where that was what I had to work on.

[RFKFREAK]

Seems reasonable for most of us. But as mentioned above, there are high cappers who makes decent contact but regularly miss left and right. I'd love to get back to the point where that was what I had to work on.

Yah, but if a person only make decent contact, that's probably a big factor in why they regularly miss left and right because a highly doubt there are players that are trying to break 100 that make good, consistent contact.

[JonMA1]

Yah, but if a person only make decent contact, that's probably a big factor in why they regularly miss left and right because a highly doubt there are players that are trying to break 100 that make good, consistent contact.

Agreed. I think when we use words like "decent" it can mean different things to different people. If I talk about having a round where I made "good" or "decent' contact, that's not relevant to the kind of contact good players make, that's relevant to the normal, inconsistent contact I'm accustomed to.

Don't know if I read it here at TST or in LSW, but average golfers sometimes describe themselves as "good" ball strikers yet score in 80's. Now you and I might kill for that type of game, but to the better players, they are no where near good ball strikers or they'd be shooting in the 70's.

But you're right, on the rounds where I've broken 100, there was relatively "good" contact with all my clubs, I wasn't missing easy putts and there was a bit of luck sprinkled in there.

I've also had rounds without any fat, shanked, or topped iron shots but wayward driver and fairway wood shots cost me enough penalties and/or my putting was really bad and I failed to break 100.