RFKFREAK's Journal About Golf Past, Present, and Future

[dkolo]

Forgot to throw up my scorecard and it was too late to edit my last post so here it is.

1 Birdie

2 Pars

2 Bogeys

2 Double Bogeys

2 Blow up holes.

I might've missed it, but what do you use to generate these wonderful scorecards?

[RFKFREAK]

I might've missed it, but what do you use to generate these wonderful scorecards?

Golfshots app.

I used to use SwingbySwing but then they were primarily mobile and whereas I can appreciate that, I like looking at things on my computer.

Then I just use MSPaint and crop it.

Sadly it's the design of the scorecards that is wonderful and not what's on it.

[dkolo]

Golfshots app.

I used to use SwingbySwing but then they were primarily mobile and whereas I can appreciate that, I like looking at things on my computer.

Then I just use MSPaint and crop it.

Sadly it's the design of the scorecards that is wonderful and not what's on it.

All I see is a birdie on a long par 4, and I'm fairly impressed. I couldn't make birdie with two 120 yard par 3s this weekend

[RFKFREAK]

All I see is a birdie on a long par 4, and I'm fairly impressed. I couldn't make birdie with two 120 yard par 3s this weekend

Haha, thanks!

I so want to go out there again tonight but I probably should do some practicing today.

[RFKFREAK]

Worked on my Evolvr instructing today after work.

I'm working on 3 things with the first being the priority piece.

1) Changing the picture by trying to get my hips forward and creating secondary axis tilt and raising my hips post impact.

2) Shortening my backswing

3) Laying the shaft down on the downswing.

One thing I really never thought would be difficult while doing all three of these things would be shortening by backswing.  For some reason I can't just easily shorten it.  I thought it'd be relatively easy but I'm so used to going back as far as I do that it's tough to fix.

Anyway, today's the first day since I got my lesson back that I've done it outside hitting it my net.  My initial thoughts are ones of disappointment because I'd like to see some change and improvement immediately.  However, after those initial thoughts, I rationally know that this is going to take time and the changes I'm trying to make won't happen over the course of one practice session.  Anyway, here's a FO video.  Lots of work to do.  I don't feel as though I'm creating enough secondary axis tilt.  I'm trying to keep my front leg flexed during impact and thrusting my hips upward after impact.

[iacas]

I'm working on 3 things with the first being the priority piece.

Then mostly focus on doing that one thing.

One thing I really never thought would be difficult while doing all three of these things would be shortening by backswing.  For some reason I can't just easily shorten it.  I thought it'd be relatively easy but I'm so used to going back as far as I do that it's tough to fix.

Gonna be awfully tough to do it making full swings at full speed.

Also, and not to add on to stuff you already have swimming around in your head, but:

You're going to want to make sure you aren't shortening your swing by not turning.

[RFKFREAK]

Then mostly focus on doing that one thing.

Yeah, after trying to do all three at once, I realized that it's really tough to concentrate on all three.

For now, I'm going to concentrate on the priority piece of weight forward while creating secondary axis tilt and having my hips rise post impact most of the time but also do dedicated practice on the other two pieces separately.

Gonna be awfully tough to do it making full swings at full speed.

It's interesting you mention that.  I thought was doing swinging slowly and after my practice, I thought that I was probably still doing it too quickly,  I have to get a better gauging what "speed" to practice at.

Also, and not to add on to stuff you already have swimming around in your head, but:

You're going to want to make sure you aren't shortening your swing by not turning.

Thanks for the help on this.  Didn't realize I was doing this.

Man, my swing and I have a lot of work to do.

[iacas]

It's interesting you mention that.  I thought was doing swinging slowly and after my practice, I thought that I was probably still doing it too quickly,  I have to get a better gauging what "speed" to practice at.

Re-read the "Small Successes" chapter in LSW. :)

[RFKFREAK]

Re-read the "Small Successes" chapter in LSW. :)

Will do and thanks again!

[RFKFREAK]

Re-read the "Small Successes" chapter in LSW. :)

Will do and thanks again!

After reading that passage and thinking about it afterwards, the progress I made during the winter, I think, was because I was implementing what the chapter discusses, slow and specific swings because I had no other option as I can't swing my club fast indoors.  Somewhat serendipitous.

[RandallT]

Worked on my Evolvr instructing today after work.

2) Shortening my backswing

One thing I really never thought would be difficult while doing all three of these things would be shortening by backswing.  For some reason I can't just easily shorten it.  I thought it'd be relatively easy but I'm so used to going back as far as I do that it's tough to fix.

Just a reminder of this thread:

[RFKFREAK]

So, in my first post I said that one of the things I wanted to accomplish was shooting my first sub 100 round by May and I've now shot two thus far.

Today, my drives were the best they've been so far this season.  I had zero penalty shots and shot a 94!

And on Game Golf:

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/RFKFREAK/round/286383

I'm very proud of the fact that I also shot sub 100 on this course so early in the season.  My previous best on this course was 102 so I'm very happy that I put up a scorecard with 8 fewer strokes than my previous best on this course.  All that said, I probably cost myself two or three strokes so it could have been better but I'm not going to complain.  However, I am somewhat upset at myself for my PPGIR average of 2.5 with two 3 putts.  Overall, I feel my putting could have been a lot better today.

I'm somewhat debating going to play tomorrow.  We'll see.

On the physical aspect, I worked out twice this week and might go tomorrow, not sure.  However, I'm now down to working on shedding the last 10 pounds to get to my goal.  I'm hoping to reach my goal by next week but more than likely, if I stay disciplined, it'll probably happen in two week and then I'll have to reassess and see where I'm at.  All that said, I'm striking the ball better and believe I'm hitting the ball further than last season (except for my driver).  I'm not quite sure if it's because I have a better swing now or because of the weight loss/strength training I've been doing.  Also, I'm a bit surprised that it seems that I'm hitting my irons further but not my driver so, but I'm just starting to get a handle on my driving again, so, we'll see if the distance comes soon.

All in all, a good week!

[colin007]

Hey Christian, nice round! I too was impressed by the driver...I did notice a lack of distance on the driver as well. Not sure why that is. It seemed like you were hitting driver solid, with a nice traj, could have been a higher ball flight, still I thought the drives would have been longer. Smashed a couple of your first putts way past the hole. All in all, great round!

[rkim291968]

Beating your PR by 6 shots and the course handicap by 10 strokes?   That's simply awesome.   Congrats!   Your HI will be coming down like a rock.

[RFKFREAK]

Hey Christian, nice round! I too was impressed by the driver...I did notice a lack of distance on the driver as well. Not sure why that is. It seemed like you were hitting driver solid, with a nice traj, could have been a higher ball flight, still I thought the drives would have been longer. Smashed a couple of your first putts way past the hole. All in all, great round!

Yeah, and then out of nowhere, today's driver happened.

Beating your PR by 6 shots and the course handicap by 10 strokes?   That's simply awesome.   Congrats!   Your HI will be coming down like a rock.

Thanks!  A short lived "victory," through:

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/RFKFREAK/round/289616

What killed me today, besides the 5 penalty shots (the three in a row were murder and disheartening), was that I'm coming across with a closed face and pulling shots with my wedges and short irons.  This ended up really hurting me in situations where a GIR or nGIR was a possibility or in situations where I might have been able to limit the damage to a bogey.  A few holes in particular come to mind, like 3, 12, 13, and 14.   Walking 18 yesterday on a course that will give you a workout and walking it today might have caught up with my today as I just lost control of my driver at the end of the round.

Oh, well.  I suppose I'll see what happens when I next play.

[rkim291968]

You are still in good hands.  Just by alternating between 95 and 105, you will lower you HI by 10 points.   In the last 6 rounds I did the very same thing (91-109-90-107-107-87) and it lowered my HI a full point.   But if I averaged the scores, I didn't do too well.

[RFKFREAK]

You are still in good hands.  Just by alternating between 95 and 105, you will lower you HI by 10 points.   In the last 6 rounds I did the very same thing (91-109-90-107-107-87) and it lowered my HI a full point.   But if I averaged the scores, I didn't do too well.

True.  I was initially disappointed with the score because I wanted to prove to myself that shooting in the 90's on Saturday wasn't a fluke.  That said, I don't think it was a fluke and I'm pretty much chalking it up to being kind of tired from walking 18 on a course that's not easy to walk which was one of the other reasons I wanted to get in better shape - to be able to walk the course and not feel like I was dying which I accomplished.

The other thing I'm chalking it up to is pulling an fair amount of shots with my short irons/wedges.

I'm going to work on changing the picture this week so that next Saturday when I go to the same course, I might be able to shoot in the 90's again.

I'll take solace in the fact that from holes 5-9, I shot 2 over, and, for the first time ever, I reached a green in 2 (on 8) and then of course, proceeded to 3 putt for par.

[RFKFREAK]

Played yesterday and today and shot 100 each day but did so in very different ways.

Yesterday:

16.7 GIR (3 holes)

38.5 FIR (5 holes)

1.9 putts per hole (34 total putts)

214.2 yard average drive.

4 pars, 5 bogeys, 5 double bogeys, 4 more than double bogey

Today:

5.6 GIR (1 hole)

30.8 FIR (4 holes)

1.6 putts per hole (29 total putts).

240.3 yard average drive

2 pars, 9 bogeys, 3 double bogeys, 4 more than double bogey

So, pretty much yesterday, I don't think I played well but had a wrinkle in the equation as I was playing with a friend and had a little bit more than pride on the line.  I ended up beating my friend by 4 strokes but what I was really happy about was that going into 16, we were tied and 17 is the hardest hole on the course and by far, my least favorite hole.

I overshot the green on 16 but made a 10 foot putt for par, putting pressure on my friend, and then he putted and missed and tapped in for double bogey.

On 17, I decided to not risk driver as there's not much room on the left because of trees and dirt and the right slopes down towards the center of the fairway and further right, there are trees which will put you OOB.  I decided to play for bogey on this hole because historically, I've played this hole to triple bogey.  So, I hit my 3W, didn't hit it very well, but 180 yards was good enough.  I then layed up to about 60 yards to the elevated greens, overshot the green but was able to chip on and make a putt for bogey.  My friend made a disaster of the hole and double bogeyed it.  So, by 18, I had a 3 stroke lead and closed him out on 18.

I was pretty happy about playing what I would call "good golf" for me and beating my friend.

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/RFKFREAK/round/300746

Today was a completely round.

I was driving the ball really well, getting close to the greens but my short game really let me down.  This was pretty disheartening as I actually got a GIR and parred the first hole when historically I've played the hole 2.5 over par.  After really nice drives on 2 and 3, leaving myself wedges in, I ended up putting up an eight on both holes, which are par 4's, a seven on the par 4 fifth hole, and a double bogey on the par 4 sixth.  The atrocious play led me to put up a 53 on the front which kind of dispirited me as I was hoping to put up a score on the 90's and I have historically averaged a 57 on the back.

After another abysmal hole on 10, I was proud to play the final 8 holes at bogey golf and put up a 47 total on the back.  What really saved me, though, was the putter as I 1 putted 4 of those last 8 holes, including 2 putts of 10 feet and a putt that I would estimate was 40 feet.

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/RFKFREAK/round/304469

So back to back 100's this weekend.

One thing that I have realized this weekend is my distances are off as I've overshot a lot of greens so, thanks to Game Golf, I'm getting finding out how far I'm hitting the ball.  Once I get this down, I'll have a better chance of getting more GIR and, hopefully, lower my scores.  I'm also hitting my fairway woods better more often so I'm happy about that.

Next weekend I'll be down in The City for Mother's Day so I won't be playing this course again for a full 18 for at least 2 weekends.  I also think I'm going to get fitted for an Edel putter and wedges next weekend (and maybe pick up a hybrid) but we'll see if I finally pull the trigger on that.