My Swing (DrvFrShow)

[DrvFrShow]

I think I found the deal for post recovery from the shoulder injury. No more banging on mats practicing. There's a couple of courses that offer memberships and unlimited golf for very reasonable prices. The courses are nice and they're not easy either (5600 yds, 72.5/128). If I can just play three days a week during the spring and summer months, I should improve simply by playing often. Granted I probably won't reach that "goal," but I've dropped that goal. I play the game because I want to get out in the sun in the summertime and play with friends. Isn't that what it's about? Life is too short and it isn't getting any longer. Handicap shmandicap whatever. I may or may not keep one. I have Game Golf, and that'll be good enough for tracking things.

The membership will pay for itself even during the winter (off) months. Use the driving range for practicing tee shots and work on my short game in their practice area. Winter months? I'll just deal like the rest of people. If it's a warmer day, go to the heated range and hit some tee shots just to keep the swing motion. I'm done pounding my irons on these mats around here.

[DrvFrShow]

I'm back playing again. I started playing in mid-July, and had been playing to a 33 handicap since then. So I just got through a tune up series with my instructor, and seem to be back on track. I've bowed out of playing in my league for the rest of the season because it's just too stressful and not fun to be playing 13 strokes over ones HC. My coach doesn't want me playing for score right now anyway. We're back to grooving swing again, and that means practice.

One of the things that  came up is that I need to go on a "fat-free" diet. So I told him what has happened and how I turned a 140 yd approach on a par 5 into a double bogey, and have done stuff like that. "Show me." So I execute the swing motion and hit the shot perfectly - 144 yds with my 8 iron. He noticed some things in my set up and changed them. My feet. And we worked on setting up the same each time. Little differences in ball position and feet position can make a difference and I haven't been paying attention. I've also been making small adjustments while playing a round. He doesn't want me doing that. Play the round and make the same swing on every shot with the range required for the shot. It works.

Every round right now is a practice round and is not being reported. I'm playing at slow times and just dropping extra balls on the course, taking extra bunker shots. I'm also still learning how to play the game on the course and make good decisions. So if I make a bad decision, I'll drop another ball and make the good decision, pick up the bad decision, and play from the good decision. Now I know what decision to make from that situation.

If I hit a bad shot, it doesn't mean I don't play it. If it's something I'm not working on at the time - like I have no idea how to hit a ball below my feet right now from a slice lie. We need to talk about that and I need to practice that. If the course is crowded I'm moving the ball to a flat lie. If it isn't I can drop multiple shag balls and practice it.

Right now my primary piece is making the same swing motion every time on the course as I do on the range. At my last lesson he caught the right foot and moved it up toward the line.

[RandallT]

Glad to see you back, Julia! No more injuries, please. Enjoy getting back into golf, and finding whatever recipe you need to keep it enjoyable. A frustrating sport at times when scores go south, but ultimately it's a fun challenge to learn and apply techniques. I don't score every round myself, but I've wondered if I should just do something similar to what you're doing and shut down the scoring completely. I did stop submitting scores for HCP, just because I don't plan to compete anytime. The next year or so is strictly learning, so why bother? I guess I still like to know what my approximate scores are, so I can stay in touch with whether or not I'm improving.

[Lihu]

Glad to see you back, Julia! No more injuries, please. Enjoy getting back into golf, and finding whatever recipe you need to keep it enjoyable. A frustrating sport at times when scores go south, but ultimately it's a fun challenge to learn and apply techniques.

I don't score every round myself, but I've wondered if I should just do something similar to what you're doing and shut down the scoring completely. I did stop submitting scores for HCP, just because I don't plan to compete anytime. The next year or so is strictly learning, so why bother? I guess I still like to know what my approximate scores are, so I can stay in touch with whether or not I'm improving.

Agree, welcome back Julia!

I tried this and got a lot of flack from the peanut gallery, so now I just play less rounds.

[DrvFrShow]

I keep an approximate score. Like what I'd score if I made the good decisions on the course. That lets me know where my game is technically. Next year is still going to be learning. I'm really not ready to play competitive golf. And honestly playing like this when you're learning is more fun, because let's face it. When we're learning we suck. The ball is almost always in really crappy shape. You rarely have a good look at the green for a second shot. Or third  shot. On  a par  4. So why suffer? You have enough trouble hitting the ball from a decent lie. You don't play Bach 4-part Fugues when you're only starting the Two-Part Inventions. Move the ball to where you can hit it. You'll be less frustrated. You're practicing. Still reserve one or two holes for complete shite. And keep a sense of humor about it.

[DrvFrShow]

So I've been thinking. I know a novel concept. What clubs do I use the most during a round on the course? And rank them in order of use. Excluding the putter which is hit most.

#1 - 8 iron - I use this club on most approach shots from par 4s, and it's my bail out club if I need to get out of a bad situation I know I can hit it well and put it back in the fairway. I also know that I can hit a driver and two 8 irons on a par 5 if I need to. Like I said it's my bail out club.

#2 - Driver - I use this on about 12 to 13 holes per round.

#3 - Wedges - Usually around the green, but sometimes on approach shots. It can be any one of them from the PW to the LW. I recently dumped my Titleist and Cleveland wedges and bought the ones that went with my set. They're easier to hit and give a more consistent feel throughout.

#4 - 6 iron - Second shots on par 5s. Let's be honest here. While under perfect conditions I could take out a FW and hit it up close, I have about a 5% of getting it on the green. So on any hole that's >=500 yds in length I'll need three shots to reach the green anyway. I can be much more accurate with my 6i and be 90-100 yds out on the short grass or first cut. This is the smart play. The heroic play is the FW and be pin high in the bunker or top the damned ball. I don't hit the FW that often - maybe once every couple of rounds - even if I totally duff my drive I can reach most par 5 greens in 3 with two six irons and a PW - Julia, don't be a dummy. I also use the 6i off the tee on par 3s regularly which gives more familiarity with the club. Most par 5s I play aren't long enough where I'm hitting a 5W, and I'm hitting a 6i into the green complex anyway. Sometimes I'll still make it in two. So there's that.

This information tells me where I need to focus my attention: Hitting 8 irons to a target; 6 irons to a target; Gap Wedge & Lob Wedge to targets; and hitting the Driver. And groove the swing my instructor and I have been working on. Keep it simple in the practice session and keep it simple on the course.

[iacas]

#4 - 6 iron - Second shots on par 5s. Let's be honest here. While under perfect conditions I could take out a FW and hit it up close, I have about a 5% of getting it on the green. So on any hole that's >=500 yds in length I'll need three shots to reach the green anyway. I can be much more accurate with my 6i and be 90-100 yds out on the short grass or first cut. This is the smart play. The heroic play is the FW and be pin high in the bunker or top the damned ball. I don't hit the FW that often - maybe once every couple of rounds - even if I totally duff my drive I can reach most par 5 greens in 3 with two six irons and a PW - Julia, don't be a dummy. I also use the 6i off the tee on par 3s regularly which gives more familiarity with the club. Most par 5s I play aren't long enough where I'm hitting a 5W, and I'm hitting a 6i into the green complex anyway. Sometimes I'll still make it in two. So there's that.

I disagree. If fairway woods or hybrids are that big a weakness that you can't advance the ball farther than you can with a 6I on average, you should take a little time to make that not the case. If you can get near the GIR in LESS than the GIR, that's a big leg up.

[DrvFrShow]

Erik, I agree with you. Like on my last outing, I pulled the 6i for my second shot on a 460 yd par 5. Yes if I could have hit a nice high 4H, I could have been on in two. Seriously. I played safe because of lack of confidence in the club. I put my 6i right middle of the fairway on the apron between the front bunkers and hit a LW. It would have been the difference between a par and a birdie if we figure my two putt. Over the course of the round that could be up to 4 strokes. LSW.

This will be something to work on over the winter at my heated range, and Tony tells me he is available for lessons over the winter. I'd like a total game. I still have a lot to learn about the game.

You know it's interesting that I'm having more fun now that I've put the goals out of my mind and am focusing on just learning the one thing - making the same repetitive swing over and over again that I made during my lesson - the one the instructor said "good, now do that again." The rest of the time just enjoy the day. When I get to the point where that task is automatic where I don't have to think about it, I can move on to the next task. I know it sounds dumb.

[DrvFrShow]

Had a couple of good sessions at the range this week. I'm focusing on getting my weight forward on my downswing and hitting toward targets at the range with different clubs. Right now with the age of the balls it's not making much sense to think in terms of distances because the balls are so old. I hit my driver a few times and swings that would normally deliver a 225 carry on the course were delivering around 185. So I gave a few 100% effort and got the 225 carry - these are where I'd put the "extra heat" on the course. I asked a couple of the pros and they said the balls are about 30 - 40 yds dead and new balls are arriving next week. Advice to focus on 140 yds and shorter since the deadness is less apparent and focus on accuracy and shot shape.

So okay, don't swing out of my socks and just focus on shot shape. So I worked my 8 iron through my wedges and was quite satisfied with the overall consistency of solid shots and weight shift. I can feel it in the hands and left knee when I hit the ball if I got the shift and hip turn timed right. The shot feels good, travels fast and on a good trajectory to the target.

I'll be playing a links course on Sunday. Should be fun. I'll have to get creative on my approach shots since the usual pop and stick shots won't play there since many of the greens are multi-tiered slope away and down into bunkers. Some also have false fronts. It's The Home Course. At least you won't hear me complaining about the trees. 71.8/125.

[DrvFrShow]

Played and "official" round today at The Home Course, a links course. Quite interesting. I really enjoyed the experience. It wasn't like Chambers, but I had to get creative on the greens which were quite a change from what I was used to. What was quite heartening was that I discovered I can actually read a green. It's these crap greens on the local goat tracks I can't read because they don't putt true - they're like putting on broccoli.

One of the greens I had a long putt and had to ask that the pin be moved. See I looked at the break I had to the hole, but wanted to try a different approach to it due to the shape of the green. So I ran the ball way up around the edge of the bowl for it to drop down on the hole, and nearly made the putt. It was fun getting creative like that. I had a straight three footer coming back. The people I was playing with were like, "no way are you going to have a chance at that putt like that." Then it changed to "that was the only way you could have played it." I'm glad I watched the US Open at Chambers.

I had 64% fairway accuracy with my driver and one 4 iron shot. 39% GIR - this is killing me. I'm still hitting some fat shots on the fairway. I took a beaver tail, but I had to laugh about it because... what else are you going to do?

But I really love links golf far more than parkland golf, but I hate the bunkers even worse than trees. We had a wee bit 'o breeze today, too, which was messing with shots. I shot a 95 on a 71.8/126 course, which I don't think is too bad considering that I'd never played the course before. And it's a very long course to walk. There is no way you can stay "on the clock" and walk this course. There is simply too much distance between holes. The clock is pretty much set for carts. One gap was a good 400 yds between green and tee box and not flat either.

If I could afford to play here more frequently, I'd play here a lot.

[DrvFrShow]

I had a lot of trouble in my last outing and some prior outings in bunkers. So on Thursday I made a point of spending 30 minutes pounding sand. Talk about work. A pro golfer once told me that  one needs to put in 4 hours of consistent practice in the bunker before one becomes a competent bunker player. One also can forget how to play out of them. So I watched some videos of bunker play, set up a little differently but made the same swing I was making for every other club except hit 1" behind the ball and the ball went straight up in the air and out of the bunker onto the green. Amazing. I repeated that for 30 minutes to pound that into my head.

And today, I found that LSW is an absolutely amazing book. Erik needs to make a spiral bound quick reference guide with color pictures for us to take on the golf course. It would sell. Just the shot zone stuff, and how to analyze a hole. So what if it contributes to slower play. It's about profit. But seriously I've learned to pick smarter landing spots and when I'd lay up, I now see trouble in that zone, so I'm taking an extra club to get over it. I've been committing the book to memory.

So today I went out and played another round after working this week on making the same swing I have been making at my lessons at the range (yesterday), and warming up today. I played what I'd consider a round with decent club selections. I made some really good shots, and I also made some really bad shots. One thing that's happening is I'm developing some mental toughness. I know I can read greens. Poa annua greens are very difficult to putt on, especially in the afternoon. You're at the mercy of everyone's foot traffic, as well as all the bumps that come naturally with poa. Plus there is no natural grain - one section can be with the grain, and it'll switch mid putt to be against it. I did some reading about putting on poa and you have to putt firmly. My SeeMore is not a forgiving putter, but it's making a better putter out of me.

Anyway, it seems like I do well for about 14 holes, then the fat shots start. I'm pretty sure it's conditioning, because if I really put my mind to it and concentrate I can hit a good shot off the deck even with a 4i, and I love that club. My driver starts going to hell on the 14th hole and I'm not firing with my rear leg. I'm swinging too much with my arms and not getting enough weight shifting forward. I need to work on conditioning at the gym. That will solve this problem because I don't have it on the front 9. I had a 265 yd drive on the 4th hole.

I did get my first eagle ever on the 10th hole. I pulled my tee shot into the trees (and still bombed it), but left a playable lie. I just had to hit it around a branch, so I played a 145 yd hook and put it 18 ft downhill putt with a severe break. I read the break, picked an intermediate  target, and putt straight over that, and it made the turn and rolled straight into the cup.

After reconciling the round in Game Golf, it turned out my score was a 90. Not too shabby. 16.4 differential. I've reported my last three outings.

So next it's to the gym and onto the treadmill for wind conditioning. Back to the range and continue to groove the swing my pro and I are working on. And work on my chipping and putting.

Over the winter I'll continue to groove the swing, and work with him to tune it. I just won't be going at it every day like I did last year. I'll limit my practice so I'll stay healthy. Next summer I hope to  drop the HC further.

[RandallT]

I did get my first eagle ever on the 10th hole. I pulled my tee shot into the trees (and still bombed it), but left a playable lie. I just had to hit it around a branch, so I played a 145 yd hook and put it 18 ft downhill putt with a severe break. I read the break, picked an intermediate  target, and putt straight over that, and it made the turn and rolled straight into the cup.

Cheers from the gallery! Very exciting.

[DrvFrShow]

Just in case anyone cares to look: Game Golf Round

The hole yardages are for the white tees at 6278, but I played the 5604 yd tees. I need work on my short game.

[Mr22putt]

Erik, I agree with you. Like on my last outing, I pulled the 6i for my second shot on a 460 yd par 5. Yes if I could have hit a nice high 4H, I could have been on in two.

Yup....I don't know too many if any women in their 60's, recovering from physical ailments, having only taken up golf seriously in the past few years, with a handicap from 25-33 playing in PNW conditions walk up to a 460 yards par 5 and think...I can hit driver and a 4 hybrid and reach this par 5 in two.

Are you also a member of the WRX golf forum too...where everyone there can drive their ball 340+ yards and hit there 7 iron 195 yards.....lol.

Best wishes in your quest to 5.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrvFrShow

Erik, I agree with you. Like on my last outing, I pulled the 6i for my second shot on a 460 yd par 5. Yes if I could have hit a nice high 4H, I could have been on in two.

Yup....I don't know too many if any women in their 60's, recovering from physical ailments, having only taken up golf seriously in the past few years, with a handicap from 25-33 playing in PNW conditions walk up to a 460 yards par 5 and think...I can hit driver and a 4 hybrid and reach this par 5 in two.

Are you also a member of the WRX golf forum too...where everyone there can drive their ball 340+ yards and hit there 7 iron 195 yards.....lol.

Best wishes in your quest to 5.

I don't think she meant going for the green on her second shot?

[Mr22putt]

I don't think she meant going for the green on her second shot?

She said if she attempted to hit her 4 hybrid well she could have been on in two.

I don't know about you....but I've yet to come across any 60+ year old woman playing to a 25-33 handicap that could hit the ball 460 yards in two shots...never mind the 2nd shot with a 4 hybrid.

I don't think retired 60+ year old LPGA pros could reach in two even with driver & 3W....ok...maybe Big Momma when she was in her 60's.

If you have seen many women reach 460 yds in two...let alone men doing the same.....then I must be playing in an area of the world with many incompetent golfers and I've played golf for 47 years with over 50 rds per year in the last 3 decades...so that's IMO.......a lot of golf to have witness such feats.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I don't think she meant going for the green on her second shot?

She said if she attempted to hit her 4 hybrid well she could have been on in two.

I don't know about you....but I've yet to come across any 60+ year old woman playing to a 25-33 handicap that could hit the ball 460 yards in two shots...never mind the 2nd shot with a 4 hybrid.

I don't think retired 60+ year old LPGA pros could reach in two even with driver & 3W....ok...maybe Big Momma when she was in her 60's.

If you have seen many women reach 460 yds in two...let alone men doing the same.....then I must be playing in an area of the world with many incompetent golfers and I've played golf for 47 years with over 50 rds per year in the last 3 decades...so that's IMO.......a lot of golf to have witness such feats.

Oh, I thought you were saying that she was implying 460 yards Driver/6i. That would be pretty good even for a male scratch.

Yeah, Driver/4H 460 yard par 5 is impressive even for an average LPGA who would normally use something like a 246 drive + 214 3W?

[zero]

Just in case anyone cares to look: Game Golf Round

The hole yardages are for the white tees at 6278, but I played the 5604 yd tees. I need work on my short game.

Nice eagle!