Bogey Golfers Only (Index 16-22) / Breaking 90 Topic

[jetsknicks1]

I am apparently in free fall. My last four rounds are 97, 98, 106 & 102 and it all comes down to iron play. I don't get into much trouble with my driver but I can't tell you how many doubles and triples I've hit into from the fairway over the last month. I hit fat, I hit thin, I push my mid irons and pull my high irons & wedges. Nothing at all seems to make a difference and it's extremely frustrating but you know what? I'll be out there again Saturday morning, convinced that I can fix it............... I hate this game. ;-)

I played much better on Saturday, shot a 90 with one triple and three doubles :~(. Those blow up holes are just a killer.

[newtogolf]

I'm finally starting to play some decent golf since straining/pulling my the intercostal muscles on my left side.  This season has really been a struggle given the late start due to weather and then the injury.

I'm starting to get some decent distance for me (220 - 240) on my drives while still keeping 65% in the fairway. Blow up holes still are my nemesis in that they not only ruin the score card but get into my head and force me to press on the next hole which often results in a missed fairway off the tee.

I now understand the impact ball striking has on putting.  When I'm striking the ball well, my putts per round are below my average and when I'm struggling with my approach shots my putts per round goes up.  My putting has improved but there's a big difference when your first putt is 10 feet from the flag versus 40+ feet.  It seems like a simple concept but until I started paying more attention to it, I used to just think I was a poor putter.

[rkim291968]

Two good rounds in the last 30 days will push down my HI below 20 in the next GHIN report tomorrow..  It's good to be back under 20 HI.   In reality, I had no real improvement over the same period.  My short game got much better but that was offset by sudden onset of pop ups with driver.   Driver stayed in my bag for of the last 3 rounds.

[Lihu]

Two good rounds in the last 30 days will push down my HI below 20 in the next GHIN report tomorrow..  It's good to be back under 20 HI.   In reality, I had no real improvement over the same period.  My short game got much better but that was offset by sudden onset of pop ups with driver.   Driver stayed in my bag for of the last 3 rounds.

Nice job getting back below 20. Keep it up!

[mailman]

After three fantastic rounds, including breaking 90 for the very first time in a competition my handicap has dropped from 23.8 to 21.4! Another few good rounds and I might even get it to dip under 20 before the end of the year! :)

A couple things that have made a huge difference over the course of the last month is only having 2 three putts in total and getting my course management under control! But yeah, feel like Im finally making progress in the right direction!

Regards

Mailman

[dave s]

Here's a thought for us bogey golfers to ponder:

Would you rather hit the ball solidly all round and not shoot a good score, or HACK your way from tee to green all day and card an 87 because you got some breaks like holing a couple of long putts, maybe skulling a chip that hits the stick and stops a foot from the cup?

I had a nice round Sunday afternoon where I hit the ball great all day but rarely made a putt, and good shots (for me, anyway) ended up in not so good spots.  Examples: Hit 5 hybrid three times on 2nd shots on par 4 holes. Two went though the green by just a little, but in spots where getting up and down for par was a long-shot. Third one landed on the right side of the green and went off into a collection area leaving me about 40 yards to the pin! A par-3  with about 160 carry over water I chose the safe route (left) and hit a 3 wood deep again.  Ball mark was 4' left of hole!  Made another bogey.

All in all I did make one birdie (#1 par 5) and finished with a par on 18 to card the 87.  Only disaster of the day was #9 where I stupidly drove the ball into the water off the tee ... I look down and see a tee box marker that says '217 yards to water.'  DOH!!!  Best drive of the day, too!

So, hit ball well, take your lumps and shoot 87, or hack it around to a slightly better score?  I'm all about hitting the ball well and care less about the score.

dave

[Lihu]

Here's a thought for us bogey golfers to ponder: Would you rather hit the ball solidly all round and not shoot a good score, or HACK your way from tee to green all day and card an 87 because you got some breaks like holing a couple of long putts, maybe skulling a chip that hits the stick and stops a foot from the cup? I had a nice round Sunday afternoon where I hit the ball great all day but rarely made a putt, and good shots (for me, anyway) ended up in not so good spots.  Examples: Hit 5 hybrid three times on 2nd shots on par 4 holes. Two went though the green by just a little, but in spots where getting up and down for par was a long-shot. Third one landed on the right side of the green and went off into a collection area leaving me about 40 yards to the pin! A par-3  with about 160 carry over water I chose the safe route (left) and hit a 3 wood deep again.  Ball mark was 4' left of hole!  Made another bogey. All in all I did make one birdie (#1 par 5) and finished with a par on 18 to card the 87.  Only disaster of the day was #9 where I stupidly drove the ball into the water off the tee ... I look down and see a tee box marker that says '217 yards to water.'  DOH!!!  Best drive of the day, too! So, hit ball well, take your lumps and shoot 87, or hack it around to a slightly better score?  I'm all about hitting the ball well and care less about the score. dave

Good thoughts! I was just thinking about this today. I hit decent shots, but made a double par on a par 3 :8) However, if you hear the story behind it, you might think I shot pretty well. My tee shot bounced off a tree into another trees root. Could have called an unplayable, but I decided to hit it out. My practice swing touched the ball, but I needed to see if I could even reach it. That's a stroke. I then bounced it out into a staked tree. Got a free drop from that, but my drop point was on a rock. So, i hit it off the rock into the bunker. Bunker to a few feet. That still felt good, even though my playing partners looked at me like I was a total beginner. That was mitigated when I got par, birdie, and an nGIR (3w**/6i 409 yards) on subsequent holes. My thoughts are that if you hit the ball the way you intended, you feel good even though you score badly around the greens. Playing better on the long game is a lot more satisfying for us bogey golfers. I feel exactly the same as you. **I still had my 3W today, because I left my 56 wedge at home. Nice solid 240 yard slightly downhill drive right down the fairway. 6i put me 15 feet from the pin but off the green.

[Strandly]

Was +4 going into the 9th hole today and was pretty excited, I was like.. oh man keep this up on the back and I can say I shot an 80 !  But then I bogeyed it and my dreams were crushed.

Anyway, a few rounds ago I realized how huge it is to have a slow backswing.  I thought I was already slow but I really wasn't and now that I see how much of a difference it makes in hitting quality shots I'm trying to get it burned into my head.

Slow down your backswing people, the effects are amazing!

[Lihu]

Was +4 going into the 9th hole today and was pretty excited, I was like.. oh man keep this up on the back and I can say I shot an 80 !  But then I bogeyed it and my dreams were crushed. Anyway, a few rounds ago I realized how huge it is to have a slow backswing.  I thought I was already slow but I really wasn't and now that I see how much of a difference it makes in hitting quality shots I'm trying to get it burned into my head. Slow down your backswing people, the effects are amazing!

I think the main thing is that you don't feel rushed. It's great you are finding your rhythm.

[MisterLCP]

Keeping the ball in play is my number 1 specific goal.  But becoming better overall is almost more important than my number 1 specific goal.  So even when I'm alternating between big slices and pull draws I might still keep hitting my driver hoping to string out some long straight drives in a row (it does happen on good days), I might still be hitting my driver to get the practice instead of just leaving it in the bag and hitting a 3 wood or 2 hybrid off the tee.  If it's a tight hole that's not long, I'll think with my head a bit more and hit the 3 wood or 2 hybrid, realizing that either way I still probably have a wedge shot with either club for approach (on a par 4).  Next up, is keeping my eye and focus on the ball.  Too often my eye focus drifts (or I look up) and I chunk the shot.  Next is eliminating 3 putts.  I can putt straight.  It's just a matter of discipline, a little bit of practice and being sure you learn and focus on the speed of the greens that day and the uphill/downhill nature of your putt on any given green.  I'm athletic, can get in a groove with 300 yard drives, have good swing mechanics and can hit high and long shots with plenty of spin that I can shape either way when I need to.  But having the ability and getting good at using it are two different things.  In my 40's now, in the last year or two I just really started playing again since I was a teenager and really don't shoot much better now than I did then.

[MisterLCP]

I had another idea on the course today while waiting for groups in front of us.  It was based on the handicap rank of the hole.  I figured if it was the 1, 2 or 3 handicap hole on that 9, to just do whatever it took to make a bogey from the tee.  Play an iron off the tee on a par 5, whatever.  If it was the 7, 8 or 9 handicap, get some confidence and figure out how to reliably make a par.  That means just keep it in play on the tee, get it on the green for that approach shot in regulation and 2 putt for sure, dammit!  Of course, some of those higher handicap holes might be a par 3 and if you hit a lousy tee shot into the sand trap it's tough to make par.  Now, for what to with the 4, 5 and 6 handicap I'm not sure.  Go at the hole like you want to try and make a par, but make a mistake and end up losing a ball and taking a double, triple or snowman?  I don't know.  Maybe play it like a bogey target hole if it seems challenging for your weaknesses and play it like a par hole if it seems to play into your strengths.

[rkim291968]

I had another idea on the course today while waiting for groups in front of us.  It was based on the handicap rank of the hole.  I figured if it was the 1, 2 or 3 handicap hole on that 9, to just do whatever it took to make a bogey from the tee.  Play an iron off the tee on a par 5, whatever.  If it was the 7, 8 or 9 handicap, get some confidence and figure out how to reliably make a par.  That means just keep it in play on the tee, get it on the green for that approach shot in regulation and 2 putt for sure, dammit!  Of course, some of those higher handicap holes might be a par 3 and if you hit a lousy tee shot into the sand trap it's tough to make par.  Now, for what to with the 4, 5 and 6 handicap I'm not sure.  Go at the hole like you want to try and make a par, but make a mistake and end up losing a ball and taking a double, triple or snowman?  I don't know.  Maybe play it like a bogey target hole if it seems challenging for your weaknesses and play it like a par hole if it seems to play into your strengths.

On How To Break 90 book I've read, it advocates looking at every hole as bogey hole.

One variation to your thought above is pick your own 1, 2, and 3 rank hole.   It may be different than what the score card says.

[rkim291968]

Was +4 going into the 9th hole today and was pretty excited, I was like.. oh man keep this up on the back and I can say I shot an 80 !  But then I bogeyed it and my dreams were crushed.

Yesterday, I had +21 on 1st 9 holes and thought I would be lucky to break 110.  But on back 9, I finished with +6 and managed to break 100.   It was a tale of two cities, Jekyll and Hyde, ...  But for me, it's better to have bad 1st 9 and finish strong.   Having a good start and finishing bad makes me feel worse even if it was a decent final score.

I think a lot of my swing mistakes are due to not completing the back swing.   Slower back swing help completes it.   Faster back swing usually means a broken tempo and ball going left, right, or short.  It creeps up when I am thinking of hitting longer.   My recent struggle with drives are caused by my trying to hit 10-20 yards longer off tee.  My back and down swings got faster without getting the tempo right.

[Lihu]

On How To Break 90 book I've read, it advocates looking at every hole as bogey hole. One variation to your thought above is pick your own 1, 2, and 3 rank hole.   It may be different than what the score card says.

LSW.

[jetsknicks1]

On How To Break 90 book I've read, it advocates looking at every hole as bogey hole. One variation to your thought above is pick your own 1, 2, and 3 rank hole.   It may be different than what the score card says.

I try to break my round down into 3 hole sections. It seems to help me stay focused on my thought process of no worse than 3 over for each 3 hole segment.

[Lihu]

I try to break my round down into 3 hole sections. It seems to help me stay focused on my thought process of no worse than 3 over for each 3 hole segment.

I think setting a scoring goal for each type of hole is going to help more than a single sweeping 3 strokes per set of 6 holes. If you have a more difficult "6" your expectations should not be the same as an easy "6". I like to categorize my holes as par 3, long par 3/short par 4, standard par 4, long par 4/short par 5 and par 5. This sets my expectations for each hole. For instance, I'm not treating a short par 4 as a bogey hole, I'm going for a birdie opportunity. By similar logic, a long par 4 and short par 5 are also treated the same even though one ends up +1. Similarly, on a standard par 4 I'm just hoping for an NGIR to get me up close to the pin. As your distance increases or decreases, expectations should also change. I had been going through phases where my driver goes 200 to 250, and adopted this strategy to be able to play "for the day".

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetsknicks1

I try to break my round down into 3 hole sections. It seems to help me stay focused on my thought process of no worse than 3 over for each 3 hole segment.

I think setting a scoring goal for each type of hole is going to help more than a single sweeping 3 strokes per set of 6 holes. If you have a more difficult "6" your expectations should not be the same as an easy "6".

I like to categorize my holes as par 3, long par 3/short par 4, standard par 4, long par 4/short par 5 and par 5.

This sets my expectations for each hole.

For instance, I'm not treating a short par 4 as a bogey hole, I'm going for a birdie opportunity. By similar logic, a long par 4 and short par 5 are also treated the same even though one ends up +1.

Similarly, on a standard par 4 I'm just hoping for an NGIR to get me up close to the pin.

As your distance increases or decreases, expectations should also change.

I had been going through phases where my driver goes 200 to 250, and adopted this strategy to be able to play "for the day".

I fully agree but it is mentally hard to do this on short but difficult holes.   Recently, I am using my 150 yard club on a particular 175 yard par 3 hole if I don't have my A game.   Before, regardless of my playing condition that day, I'd use 175 yard club only to see my ball land in OB, deep rough, bunker (this hole's green is surrounded by danger).   A par hole then becomes double bogey hole or worse.  I know I have to do more (and will) of this but the allure of getting a GIR (and a subsequent par) is sometimes too much to deny.    Know thyself and adjust your shot selection accordingly ... a note to myself.

[teamroper60]

Here's a thought for us bogey golfers to ponder:

Would you rather hit the ball solidly all round and not shoot a good score, or HACK your way from tee to green all day and card an 87 because you got some breaks like holing a couple of long putts, maybe skulling a chip that hits the stick and stops a foot from the cup?

I had a nice round Sunday afternoon where I hit the ball great all day but rarely made a putt, and good shots (for me, anyway) ended up in not so good spots.  Examples: Hit 5 hybrid three times on 2nd shots on par 4 holes. Two went though the green by just a little, but in spots where getting up and down for par was a long-shot. Third one landed on the right side of the green and went off into a collection area leaving me about 40 yards to the pin! A par-3  with about 160 carry over water I chose the safe route (left) and hit a 3 wood deep again.  Ball mark was 4' left of hole!  Made another bogey.

All in all I did make one birdie (#1 par 5) and finished with a par on 18 to card the 87.  Only disaster of the day was #9 where I stupidly drove the ball into the water off the tee ... I look down and see a tee box marker that says '217 yards to water.'  DOH!!!  Best drive of the day, too!

So, hit ball well, take your lumps and shoot 87, or hack it around to a slightly better score?  I'm all about hitting the ball well and care less about the score.

dave

To answer the specifics of your question, at this stage of my game, I would rather hit it well because I know that once I can do that consistently, the scores will take care of themselves.   But I would submit that our definitions of hitting the ball well are very different.   To me,  if shots are ending up in places that are not so good, then they are not good shots regardless of how well you struck them.   Maybe you made good contact.   Maybe you hit your preferred flight pattern, etc...   But a well struck shot that goes 20 yards off line is still not a good shot.