"Lowest Score Wins" by Barzeski and Wedzik

[Stretch]

Different strokes for different folks. More, generally, for some.

[JonMA1]

Different strokes for different folks. More, generally, for some.

Ha! I see what you did there....

[krupa]

OK ... confession time ... when I first read the hype ... I thought yea right ... but wanted to be a contributing member to the community and especially seeing what @iacas@david_wedzik and even @mvmac (and others) do for us with their insightful knowledge ... I went online and bought one as a show of support.

Part of the reason for my lack luster attitude is most books of these types bore the crap out me ... just tried to read Ben Hogan's

Well I got mine in the mail today ... great gobs of batsh1t batman ... this book is good!!!!  And my initial thoughts/perception were deada$$ wrong!!

I think it is so good I am going to buy my instructor one ... and work on some of the items with him!  (he is the one that gave me the Ben Hogan to read)

While I have just quickly read most of it, I will be going back and pulling out, and highlighting pieces to focus on at the range and course.

For anyone on the fence, I highly encourage you to purchase it, especially for those like me with a high handicap!

So to Erick and David, thank you!

Don't look for me tomorrow ... I am out implementing some of the things in this book.

For what it's worth, this review got me to order the book this morning.  I feel like I just ordered a calculus book while still struggling with long division, but what the hey... I've gotten a lot out of the free instructional threads posted by @iacas othing more, I'm paying back a little and the book will be on my shelf waiting for me...

[Mr. Desmond]

Watching TGC and/or reading golf digest last week, can't remember which, maybe both, heard a lot of "practice 80% of the time on your short game," and I think Rhymer said, "I know one PRO who spends 100% of his time on the short game," and basically implored viewers to do as PROs do.

Those are Pros. They have greater distance and accuracy relative to amateurs.

____

Is it any wonder that people are confused?

When I read the book after it first came out, it made sense. I took it for the long term good of your game, work on distance -- you gotta' be long and relatively straight. Your approach shots must stop closer to the hole for birds and pars.

If I took the advice of Rymer/TGC, I'd be working on my short game all the time, and be relegated to the ladies tees in no time.

I don't want that... so I've increased my SS from 86 to 95-99 over the course of the last year with better technique through lessons. I want to play 6700 yard courses without issues, and without pulling a 5 wood except on par 5's or long par 4s, or in the wind ... you get my drift.

I've heard comments from other golfers and dismissed their criticism. I took the book as if you want to get better long term, get distance and relatively straightness, land further down the fairway, and hit accurate approaches. In the short term, I still work on my short game, but it's more 80-20 long game drills/learning to short game.

[newtogolf]

Watching TGC and/or reading golf digest last week, can't remember which, maybe both, heard a lot of "practice 80% of the time on your short game," and I think Rhymer said, "I know one PRO who spends 100% of his time on the short game," and basically implored viewers to do as PROs do.

Those are Pros. They have greater distance and accuracy relative to amateurs.

____

Is it any wonder that people are confused?

When I read the book after it first came out, it made sense. I took it for the long term good of your game, work on distance -- you gotta' be long and relatively straight. Your approach shots must stop closer to the hole for birds and pars.

If I took the advice of Rymer/TGC, I'd be working on my short game all the time, and be relegated to the ladies tees in no time.

I don't want that... so I've increased my SS from 86 to 95-99 over the course of the last year with better technique through lessons. I want to play 6700 yard courses without issues, and without pulling a 5 wood except on par 5's or long par 4s, or in the wind ... you get my drift.

I've heard comments from other golfers and dismissed their criticism. I took the book as if you want to get better long term, get distance and relatively straightness, land further down the fairway, and hit accurate approaches. In the short term, I still work on my short game, but it's more 80-20 long game drills/learning to short game.

I think those that push the short game so hard assume that their audience is over 40 or maybe 50 and then wrongly assume that adding distance on their full swing isn't likely so they emphasize the short game.

As much as I dislike Haney, he's pretty adamant that the full swing is more important than the short game and this weekend he cited Rory as the example of how critical the long game is to lowering scores.

[JonMA1]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I think those that push the short game so hard assume that their audience is over 40 or maybe 50 and then wrongly assume that adding distance on their full swing isn't likely so they emphasize the short game.

As much as I dislike Haney, he's pretty adamant that the full swing is more important than the short game and this weekend he cited Rory as the example of how critical the long game is to lowering scores.

You may be right in that its why they emphasize it, but even if gaining distance weren't possible, just keeping or getting the full swing sharp is reason enough to work on it more, IMO.

I played a round of 9 yesterday with a pretty decent player. It wasn't that he hit a mile longer than me, it was just that his full swing with every club was just so consistently on. Even if he missed the fairway, it wasn't by much. Same with greens (and he didn't miss many of those). Neither of us were keeping score, but he easily beat me by 10 strokes strictly due to his full swing. Admittedly, my full swing was awful yesterday. Once we got around the greens, the differences between our games wasn't as great.

[nevets88]

Yes, Fox Sports, golf is hard. NSFW version should be "Golf is ****ing hard."

http://www.foxsports.com/golf/story/rory-mcilroy-dubai-duty-free-irish-open-missed-cut-060115

I still like Rory’s chances at Chambers Bay. And St. Andrews. And for that matter, Whistling Straits. I’m sure in a couple of weeks, you’ll forget about County Down and join me.

Golf is hard. Don’t forget that.

[phillyk]

Question on getting fit for a putter:
You mention in the book that weight of the putter and being able to aim the putter correctly are important factors in choosing a good putter.  What about angle of launch off the face?  If the ball on long putts is launched too high, it can create backspin and skid more making less consistent distance control for long putts, right?  The ideal launch is where it launches up a little but with no backspin, it just hits the ground and starts rolling forward. When I went to my instructor and after looking through my clubs and their angles, that was his first thing to do.  He lowered the angle so that on long putts it got rolling forward quickly.  And the results were clear, I could see that the ball started rolling forward so much quicker and my lag on putts is much more consistent.  Is this something you have researched into? Is it an important factor at all?

(edit) also, I heard that having a higher launch is better for slow greens and a lower launch better for faster greens... Not sure how much difference that is either

[iacas]

You mention in the book that weight of the putter and being able to aim the putter correctly are important factors in choosing a good putter.  What about angle of launch off the face?

We fit the loft to pair with the green speeds players play and their launch conditions. Generally that means 2-3° of loft.

If the ball on long putts is launched too high, it can create backspin and skid more making less consistent distance control for long putts, right?

Yes, but often that's a result of poor impact conditions.

Is this something you have researched into? Is it an important factor at all?

Yeah. What more kinds of questions did you have? There are probably some other threads specifically devoted to this.

(edit) also, I heard that having a higher launch is better for slow greens and a lower launch better for faster greens... Not sure how much difference that is either

Only by about a degree or so. Most greens are between 8-12 these days.

[rkim291968]

Ok, I broke my promise of never buying another golf book unless I finish reading the ones I have already.   This book better be good - I don't like breaking  my promises

[xilez]

I feel bad because you won't end up finishing the other books you havn't finished. You'll just keep refering back to this one!

[taxgolf]

Page 211: 'once you've chosen your shot your course of action nothing matters except hitting the shot solidly'. Yesterday I played a par 5, a hole with a right dogleg. To the corner, it is about 200 - 220 yards, then around 220 - 235 to the green. I know I can hit my driving iron solidly of the tee and reach the corner. You have to go far enough, otherwise a small section of trees come into play. Sadly I hit my iron not so great. A low 'stinger' in reality a bad shot which turned out not so bad because the ball kept rolling. I didn't reach the corner for a clear view of the fairway ahead. At first the trees 'snookered (snooker is a biljart game, very popular in the UK), but after taking a good look, I noticed a path through the trees. Think of a W. Two big trees with a smaller one in the middle. Thinking that with my 7 iron, I could clear the lower tree, reach the fairway, leaving me probably an 8 or even a 9 iron to the green. Only thing: I just need to clear that lower tree in the middle. Fully confident that I had taken the right option, I ripped my 7, followed by a super 8 for a fine foot birdie, which I missed by an inch, easy par. Just read that section again, and it proved so right to me.

[rkim291968]

My book arrived today and I am up to page 40.  (Erik, you need to send out the book faster - while we are young .   It took more than a week from order to getting the book in mail box.)

So far, the book reminded me to focus on key 1 - 3.  I have been focusing on drills to improve #3 and it's getting there.  I am inconsistent with #1 & #2.   I need to incorporate those drills to my practice routine, too.

I only flare my left out during address. My instructor didn't advise flaring out right foot.  I forget what his reasons were.  Today, I tried flaring my right foot.  I can't really tell if it helped my swing or not.

I modified my driver swing stance to a bit more closed position.  I was saving that for hitting draws but my driver misses tend to be pushes.  This book gave me the final push (sorry) to use a bit more closed stance.

I have a slow back swing.  I will keep it slow for now.  I don't want to introduce too many new stuff before my tournament on this weekend.

That's all for now.  More to follow as I get deeper into the book.

[rkim291968]

I am up to page 48.   The section on chipping and pitching was a good refresher for me.  In 6 years of golf, I've done what LSW book preached in the chipping & pitching sections.   Over time, I forgot or neglected a few finer point of ch ipping and pitching.  It's just too hard to retain what I've learned over time.

At my range session today, I kept my both feet flared out at address.  I also used close stance for my drive.  These are easy adjustments.  Speeding up back swing, air time vs ground time ratio - not so much.   I will work on them at later time (or never if I don't make progress on other areas).

[Grndslmhttr3]

Just ordered this; wish I did it earlier in the year so I could've gotten a head start on it when the weather was still too crappy to play...

[Hatchman]

Chapter 1 was very good. Won't give out the details yet. For the price of a lesson or a muni round I think a good resource next to my Phil's tapes, and other resources. As a long time trainer / developer, this is actually set up as a training plan for success if followed I'll at least say now.

[Vinsk]

My book arrived today and I am up to page 40.  (Erik, you need to send out the book faster - while we are young ;-) .   It took more than a week from order to getting the book in mail box.) So far, the book reminded me to focus on key 1 - 3.  I have been focusing on drills to improve #3 and it's getting there.  I am inconsistent with #1 & #2.   I need to incorporate those drills to my practice routine, too. I only flare my left out during address. My instructor didn't advise flaring out right foot.  I forget what his reasons were.  Today, I tried flaring my right foot.  I can't really tell if it helped my swing or not. I modified my driver swing stance to a bit more closed position.  I was saving that for hitting draws but my driver misses tend to be pushes.  This book gave me the final push (sorry) to use a bit more closed stance.  I have a slow back swing.  I will keep it slow for now.  I don't want to introduce too many new stuff before my tournament on this weekend. That's all for now.  More to follow as I get deeper into the book.

I've heard instructors say keeping the back foot perpendicular to target line rather than flared prevents over rotation of the hips. Really at this point though...I just go with Mike and Erik.

[saevel25]

I've heard instructors say keeping the back foot perpendicular to target line rather than flared prevents over rotation of the hips. Really at this point though...I just go with Mike and Erik.

Seeing as a lot of amateurs needs to turn their hips more in the backswing I think going with Mike and Erik is a good thing ;)

I think a lot of instructions were developed for PGA Tour players and their faults. One might be they turn too much in the backswing.