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

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/70872/bogey-golfers-only-hi-from-16-22-breaking-90-thread/1242#post_1157604"]   [QUOTE name="rkim291968" url="/t/70872/bogey-golfers-only-hi-from-16-22-breaking-90-thread/1242#post_1157514"]   My last 5 scores: 93-92-92-93-94.   I have never been this consistent for any 5 round sequence.   Hoping to break the consistency this weekend. [/QUOTE] Guessing the CR/slope are 72/130? So, what are you hoping to improve to break this consistency? [/QUOTE] Better course management & avoiding mental lapse on a few ball strikes which end up being OB, ball in hazard, or lost ball.   They lead to blow up holes and that's doing a lot of damage.   No practice regimen is going to suddenly improve my score other than that.   I am just about to step out for my round.  Will see if I can stay shop for all 18 holes.

Good luck not blowing up. :-)

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

My last 5 scores: 93-92-92-93-94.   I have never been this consistent for any 5 round sequence.   Hoping to break the consistency this weekend.

Guessing the CR/slope are 72/130? So, what are you hoping to improve to break this consistency?

Better course management & avoiding mental lapse on a few ball strikes which end up being OB, ball in hazard, or lost ball.   They lead to blow up holes and that's doing a lot of damage.   No practice regimen is going to suddenly improve my score other than that.   I am just about to step out for my round.  Will see if I can stay shop for all 18 holes.

Good luck not blowing up.

LOL.  Just got back from the round.  Guess what?  It was another 94.  Similar stat, and similar mistakes (mental ball striking ones which led to OB, ball in hazard, lost ball) which led to big numbers (pair of 8s).

[Lihu]

Here's a thought. What if your ball striking was more solid, could you feel that your mental aspect could be more positive?

[CR McDivot]

Here's a thought. What if your ball striking was more solid, could you feel that your mental aspect could be more positive?

Agree completely!

I still have a good half dozen undeniable mishits per round. Could easily break 90 every time on this point alone.

However, I try to forget the blade, shank, fat, thin... concentrate on the next shot alone. Most times it works.

[Skenny]

Shot 41 over nine holes Saturday. Played 2900 yards from Gold tees. One birdie, 4 Pars. If I could do this over 18, I might move back to the whites. But I am old (57). And play with 60+ .........

[natureboy]

Made my first 90 for 18 (one stroke to go) the other day. Started by losing ball on the 2nd shot of the par-5 first, but recovered despite a relatively poor driving day.

If anyone else has poorer short game than long game like me, I found some extra work at a par-3 course very helpful for grooving what I was working on in short game (including employing the 'quickie pitch'). I intentionally hit short of the greens to give myself different distances in for pitches & chips. The 90 round had 2 legitimate u/d and 2 bogey u/d plus some good pitch approaches on par-5's and fewer awful short game shots overall that helped the score a lot.

[808hacker]

Played on Oahu's probably most terrible course although it IS one of the oldest. Hawaii Country Club. I met a good guy and he said he scored 88 there, so I figured why not see what I can do since we were shooting around the same scores. So I went today and I didn't realize how short this course was. Last time I played it, I was hitting all over the place and making so many mistakes. Today, not so much. Wish I had kept more awareness about my score because I still hit out a couple of times, but ended up with an 83. The course is short so a couple of drives almost drove the green.

But the reason for the post is this... I was reading about the "no backswing swing". So basically you take it back and stop. Then gather yourself and swing down. Today, I was hitting my drives all over the place at the beginning and making bad contact. It was amazing that I only lost 2 balls. In any case, at some point, I decided to try the no backswing swing and immediately hit 2 great drives. I tried it with my 3 wood but I topped it and essentially gave up with anything other than the driver. But whatever it did to the driver was crazy. Because I stopped on the backswing, I could swing when I was ready and really get into the ball and make a more powerful feeling swing.

Like anything in golf - who knows whether this will work tomorrow, or next week, but just passing on something that worked today. If you have a problem with the driver, you might want to try this and see what happens.

Lately been also working on shortening the backswing and keeping head still as much as possible for both irons and putting. It's helping.

Oh and for your video enjoyment - a very similar idea -

[straightslice]

Very nice drill. I watched it at least 5 times.

Oh and for your video enjoyment - a very similar idea -

[natureboy]

Any successful 90 breakers have some good drills / games for lag putting practice. I three-putt like a 30 HCP. My reads are okay, but the speed is the most inconsistent. Mostly tentative on the course relative to practice green often followed by over-corrections.

[808hacker]

I have read so many tips. In any case, something that seems to help is to imagine tossing the ball to the hole, then replicate that speed. It seems to help.

http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2011/02/putting-101.html

You can also toss a real ball towards the hole and try and replicate that swing speed with your putter. Try it.

[GangGreen]

Any successful 90 breakers have some good drills / games for lag putting practice. I three-putt like a 30 HCP. My reads are okay, but the speed is the most inconsistent. Mostly tentative on the course relative to practice green often followed by over-corrections.

I just started breaking into the mid to high 80's so I'm hardly the best person to be giving advice (although my putting has always been pretty decent).  My instructor and I were working on putting not too long ago and he gave me 2 great drills to help me with my speed.

First one is real simple, next time you're on a practice green take 4 or 5 balls and line them up all on the same putting line but each one progressively longer then the next (I'd stagger them about 2-3 feet apart).  Putt each one starting with the closest and progressively work back to the one farthest from the hole, great way to get a feel for the weight of each putt at a different distance.

2nd one was geared more for those (like me) who tend to leave everything short of the hole.  Place a club or alignment stick 15-18 inches past the hole, putt like you normally would only you should focus on putting with enough weight that if you miss the ball stops somewhere between the hole and the club behind the hole.  Drill seems to work best when you're around 8-10 feet away, putting on a relatively flat green.

Good luck

[mcanadiens]

First one is real simple, next time you're on a practice green take 4 or 5 balls and line them up all on the same putting line but each one progressively longer then the next (I'd stagger them about 2-3 feet apart).  Putt each one starting with the closest and progressively work back to the one farthest from the hole, great way to get a feel for the weight of each putt at a different distance.

I do a variation on this before each round. After a series of shorties, I'll pick a direction and putt them out. The only real objective is to put each ball out a little further than the last. Then I turn around and putt them to the hole in succession. If my stroke is decent (and the putting green), it will give me a real good idea for the speeds I'm looking at that day. When I'm rushed and don't do this routine, I often have problems.

[GangGreen]

I do a variation on this before each round. After a series of shorties, I'll pick a direction and putt them out. The only real objective is to put each ball out a little further than the last. Then I turn around and putt them to the hole in succession. If my stroke is decent (and the putting green), it will give me a real good idea for the speeds I'm looking at that day. When I'm rushed and don't do this routine, I often have problems.

+1, I've really found sticking to all my routines before each round has helped, even if it's abbreviated.  Usually consists of 10-15 minutes putting, another 10-15 minutes chipping, then some warm-up swings on the range (although I've found that if I hit any more than 15-20 balls beforehand it becomes counter productive).

[Braivo]

My last 5 scores: 93-92-92-93-94.   I have never been this consistent for any 5 round sequence.   Hoping to break the consistency this weekend.

Better course management & avoiding mental lapse on a few ball strikes which end up being OB, ball in hazard, or lost ball.   They lead to blow up holes and that's doing a lot of damage.   No practice regimen is going to suddenly improve my score other than that.   I am just about to step out for my round.  Will see if I can stay sharp for all 18 holes.

This is me right now. Played 3 rounds over the weekend - 94, 94, 93 on some hard courses from the back tees (71.1/140). These easily could have been sub-90 rounds but each one featured two blow up holes with mental mistakes, trying shots I have a low percentage chance of making - trying to carry 230 yds over water to reach a Par 5, attempting a 60 degree wedge from hard-packed ground, etc. Dumb.

I should be thankful as I started the season at a 23 HI, so I have improved dramatically to 16.9, but now I want MORE!

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

Better course management & avoiding mental lapse on a few ball strikes which end up being OB, ball in hazard, or lost ball.   They lead to blow up holes and that's doing a lot of damage.   No practice regimen is going to suddenly improve my score other than that.   I am just about to step out for my round.  Will see if I can stay sharp for all 18 holes.

This is me right now. Played 3 rounds over the weekend - 94, 94, 93 on some hard courses from the back tees (71.1/140). These easily could have been sub-90 rounds but each one featured two blow up holes with mental mistakes, trying shots I have a low percentage chance of making - trying to carry 230 yds over water to reach a Par 5, attempting a 60 degree wedge from hard-packed ground, etc. Dumb.

I should be thankful as I started the season at a 23 HI, so I have improved dramatically to 16.9, but now I want MORE!

Congrats on the improvement.   Please share how you improved so much in short time.   That's be an interesting, informative post for this thread.

[Braivo]

Congrats on the improvement.   Please share how you improved so much in short time.   That's be an interesting, informative post for this thread.

Thank you! Absolutely, here is how I improved my HI from 23 to 17 in the last year:

1. I read Lowest Score Wins over the winter and changed the way I attack the course. By focusing on advancing each shot as close to the hole as possible I shaved a few strokes from each round this year. I am far better at managing courses with this strategy.
2. I improved my driving substantially . Again, based on Lowest Score Wins I went with the biggest upside. I would hit the range with a large bucket and nothing but driver with one simple goal, to teach myself an inside out swing to eliminate the slice. I went from 180 - 200 yd erratic drives with big left-to-right arc to hitting 230-260 yds consistently in play. Several strokes saved per round here as well, 2-3 OB or hazards eliminated per round plus distance gained.
3. I simplified my iron game . I started putting the ball just inside my front heel on every iron shot, no matter the distance or club. Focused on the first 2 keys keeping head still and getting the weight forward. This eliminated nearly all of my skulls and fat shots. I consistently advance the ball making solid contact. Still plenty of room for improvement here but getting the ball near the green consistently has saved me another few strokes.
4. I started warming up . I used to walk to the first tee straight from the car and hit my first shot on #1 cold. It would usually take me 2-3 holes to get warm and make solid contact, costing me a few strokes early in each round. Now I arrive 30 minutes early and hit a small bucket at the range resulting in much better starts.
5. I got honest with myself . I know I can hit my 8-iron 145 yds 1 out of every 5 tries, but realistically most of the time it goes 135-140 yds. I have finally accepted "the most probable" outcome as opposed to "the best possible" outcome when I approach a shot. Sure I can carry my 3W 225 yds on occasion, but trying to carry a 220yd hazard with it is just wishful thinking most of the time. I've dropped the ego (mostly) and play the odds saving a few strokes a round.
6. My mental and physical state has improved . This has less to do with golf and more to do with life, but the overlap between the two is undeniable. I have focused a great deal on physical fitness (lifting weights), eating and sleeping well, and keeping a clear mind. This has had a positive effect both on and off the golf course.
7. I play more . The more rounds I get in the better I get. I have had the ability to play a lot early this summer and the result has been consistent improvement.

The above 7 steps have easily saved me 10 strokes per round on average from this time last year. However, I have given a few strokes back as a result of making these changes:

1. My putting has suffered . As a result of the above changes I have not spent any time practicing putting. As a result my distance control has deteriorated, leading to a notable increase in 3-putts adding a few strokes to my score.
2. I am learning to use wedges . I have always been a bump-and-run sort of chipper, always using my pitching wedge around the greens. This was safe, but definitely leaves me at a disadvantage on tight pin positions, over bunkers, etc. I recently purchases a 60 degree wedge and started using it in rounds. At this point it is costing me more strokes than it saves, but I see it as an investment in the future.
3. I am playing the back tees . My playing partners are big hitters and play the tips. To save time and be more social I have joined them back there. While I could save a few strokes teeing forward I enjoy the game from back there. It has challenged me to really dial in the driver as it is a must from afar.

From a completely unscientific analysis I would say my game improved 10 strokes and I've given back 4 in some trade-offs. Most importantly I am having a great time on the course.

[Lihu]

Thank you! Absolutely, here is how I improved my HI from 23 to 17 in the last year:

I read Lowest Score Wins over the winter and changed the way I attack the course. By focusing on advancing each shot as close to the hole as possible I shaved a few strokes from each round this year. I am far better at managing courses with this strategy.

I improved my driving substantially. Again, based on Lowest Score Wins I went with the biggest upside. I would hit the range with a large bucket and nothing but driver with one simple goal, to teach myself an inside out swing to eliminate the slice. I went from 180 - 200 yd erratic drives with big left-to-right arc to hitting 230-260 yds consistently in play. Several strokes saved per round here as well, 2-3 OB or hazards eliminated per round plus distance gained.

I simplified my iron game. I started putting the ball just inside my front heel on every iron shot, no matter the distance or club. Focused on the first 2 keys keeping head still and getting the weight forward. This eliminated nearly all of my skulls and fat shots. I consistently advance the ball making solid contact. Still plenty of room for improvement here but getting the ball near the green consistently has saved me another few strokes.

I started warming up. I used to walk to the first tee straight from the car and hit my first shot on #1 cold. It would usually take me 2-3 holes to get warm and make solid contact, costing me a few strokes early in each round. Now I arrive 30 minutes early and hit a small bucket at the range resulting in much better starts.

I got honest with myself. I know I can hit my 8-iron 145 yds 1 out of every 5 tries, but realistically most of the time it goes 135-140 yds. I have finally accepted "the most probable" outcome as opposed to "the best possible" outcome when I approach a shot. Sure I can carry my 3W 225 yds on occasion, but trying to carry a 220yd hazard with it is just wishful thinking most of the time. I've dropped the ego (mostly) and play the odds saving a few strokes a round.

My mental and physical state has improved. This has less to do with golf and more to do with life, but the overlap between the two is undeniable. I have focused a great deal on physical fitness (lifting weights), eating and sleeping well, and keeping a clear mind. This has had a positive effect both on and off the golf course.

I play more. The more rounds I get in the better I get. I have had the ability to play a lot early this summer and the result has been consistent improvement.

I would think that items 1,2,5 and 7 are probably the main things that improved your game?

[Braivo]

I would think that items 1,2,5 and 7 are probably the main things that improved your game?

Yeah, if I had to pick one I'd say #2 has done the most for my game. Some of the others have a more indirect impact. For example, my fitness level has increased my drive length a bit.