Where Is Your Game Right Now?

[sirhacksalot]

Another on the cusp.  I "am" hitting the ball better, even though my scores have been constant.  pitch/chip 2 putts for bogey have moved to 3-putts for bogey.  So while the GIR/NGIR have improved the score has remained the same.  Also I am finding just as many hazards as usual but for better reasons, such as "reaching" hazards that were once unreachable. Not just snap hooks to oblivion.

I consider myself even being a bogey golfer to be in the conscious competence area, to the point of paralysis by analysis, at times. Playing once a week, I do think that unconscious competence, would be a drastic improvement, but no dilutions of grandeur of scratch or "par if".  I could see it lowering my scores a bit though.

[NCGolfer]

On the cusp...and I chose it without reading the comments here.  

Reason is that I've been working on some small but important changes in my swing that have really felt good.  A couple of my range sessions were very good and, more importantly, I've played a few 9-hole rounds that I was able to bring those swings and changes to the course.  That's something I've struggled with over the past couple years.  Now that I rejoined the club near me my goal is to play more and make sure I'm working on taking my work on the range to the course.

I'm playing Sunday morning and will be interested to see how it goes for a full round.

[Hacker James]

"decaying".  Although practice sessions are good, I do not get in as much actual play as i should and unless I play within a few days, its almost like starting over. Mostly it is not due to ball striking, its because of not sinking putts, and stupid mistakes, poor decisions, on the course. So,while I can say I am improving, it is not borne out by scores.

[GolfLug]

On the cusp! ... but then I have been on the cusp for last two years.. lol!

Kidding aside, I am finally developing some consistency and confidence in my 'palm piece' (working with @iacas, my swing improvement priority element) in bringing it to the course. Long game specifically driver has come along from a 40% club to 70%. This has been the greatest improvement and I can feel me getting to a solid 7-8 by start of summer. Irons have always been a strength (relative) and continue to be so. Swing has been visibly less loopy according to my playing partners. Feel like it too.

I have a developed a mechanical flaw in my chipping/pitching at the moment that I have picked up some where along the way in the last few months but have spent last week or so getting it eliminated - honestly this will be the toughest piece but am hopeful. At the moment I am butchering 3-4 chips/pitches a round from within 30-40 feet. Estimated worth - a couple of shots.

Finally have decided to get fitted for an Edel putter when I make it to Erie sometime between now and May. I have a good stroke but gotta aim properly.

Can't say enough as to how big a motivator making the Newport Cup blue team is. I really need more than 3 rounds a months in peak season.   

[Phil McGleno]

My game is what it is.-If I take a month off it can take a round to get it back but it is pretty dependable.

15 hours ago, David in FL said:

My one real goal is to break par.  One of these days...

You do not take lessons, have a big pull-draw with very little height and like everyone are getting older. You are a 6 trending up-You were a 5 a few years ago right? Probably not going to happen. You are at your ceiling because you do not take lessons.

38 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Can't say enough as to how big a motivator making the Newport Cup blue team is. I really need more than 3 rounds a months in peak season.

Can you-I thought if you were on before @iacas was going to pick new people? Motivation is good though-Keep it up.

[David in FL]

5 minutes ago, Phil McGleno said:

 

You do not take lessons, have a big pull-draw with very little height and like everyone are getting older. You are a 6 trending up-You were a 5 a few years ago right? Probably not going to happen. You are at your ceiling because you do not take lessons.

Absolutely true.  

I still manage to throw a handful of rounds into the low 70's each year and I'm hoping for the planets to align one day and stumble into that magical 71.  You're right though, I'm not going to spend a great deal of time or effort to actually improve the chances that it'll happen.  It will, or it won't.

[Fairway_CY]

I'm an optimist, so... my game is almost always 'on the cusp'.  

Truthfully, though... I'm playing as well as I ever have.  I've made some minor changes over the last 18 months or so that have led to more consistency.  I'd like to believe that with some professional assistance and some dedication, I can get myself much closer to where I want to be.

CY

[GolfLug]

1 hour ago, Phil McGleno said:

Can you-I thought if you were on before @iacas was going to pick new people? Motivation is good though-Keep it up.

I am pretty sure picking the best mix is the priority.

[sjduffers]

I voted on the cusp, although I don't mean literally at the moment as playing conditions have been horrible for the last month and a half or so..

Spoiler

Have you heard that CA is coming out of the 5+ years drought? That is because trillions of gallons of rain and snow have fallen in what seems like a continuous manner since late December...

Anyway, looking at my game, I am temporarily done with my lessons plan: I need to see all this stuff gel together while playing and then come back for maintenance or perhaps the next level stuff. Working on extension mostly now. The path is good, the swing is sound, but I need more power and lack of extension is robbing me of some of that power. The usual miss is now left instead of right, although a slice still occurs once in a great while (like a brain fart) and I usually know why. I am still making some progress on the short game and lag putting (currently at 3.5% of 3-putts). Right on the cusp, baby! 

[Bucki1968]

I would say plateau. I usually shoot the same scores almost every time out because in order for me to really get better I would have to quit work and practice. Just don't have the time. I will say that (at least with my game), one month I'm good with driver and I am off with the irons or putt bad. The next month I hit the irons good and the driver goes all over the place. I cant get everything together at the same time. Any one else have this problem?

[mcanadiens]

I didn't really go backwards from a score standpoint, but plateau sounds entirely too nice. I'd say my game ran into a wall in 2016. I had some operating ideas what I needed to work on. After some initially positive results in mid-summer, I completely lost the plot. 

It will be a couple of months before I'm able to spend much time on it. Maybe I can think of a way forward by then.

[b101]

Would normally be 'on the cusp', but definitely 'plateau' right now. Just don't seem to be able to get a typical ball flight for the moment and I feel I've got too much that I'm trying to change. Attempting to stay focused, but it's tough. I feel like I've got a range swing that I can't trust on the course as I know that it's not there yet, which is leading to some utterly horrific shots on the course. Hopefully it won't last!

[billchao]

I'm on the cusp. Over the last 1.5-2 years, I sorted out my path issues and my contact is solid. Now I am taking strides towards fixing my start line issues.

If I can eliminate my tendency to hit a big push and the occasional pull (both have the same root cause), my scores are going to drop very quickly.

[JonMA1]

I voted other.

I feel like I've peaked at a very low level. I wouldn't consider it a plateau however.

I still practice - perhaps even in a more disciplined way. Still take video and analyze it and still try to improve. But the drive for improvement I had prior to this winter is gone. To be honest, I hope it doesn't come back.

I don't mind the obsession and love I have for the game - golf is perfect for my lifestyle. I just really, really hate the obsession I had chasing improvement along the disappointment that failure bought about. 

I want to transition towards enjoying the game I own - even if that game isn't very good by most standards.

[Denny Bang Bang]

I chose other.  I'm recovering from a knee injury at the moment, so I can't really attempt a full swing with confidence at the moment (I'm babying the knee).  Played Sunday and shot 16 over, not a difficult course (although it was 38 degrees and wet as well).

I'm sure everything will be good in another month or two, but it could be a frustrating month or two.

 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 2/8/2017 at 9:38 PM, RandallT said:

I know it's winter, so there may be a lot of "dormant" choices. But I'm curious to know where everyone feels about their game. Are we generally an optimistic lot? I'd think that those who are backsliding might self-select out of joining golf forums, so we will likely see people who are on the upswing, or are content with their play.

That's a good point, but I voted "other", because I have no game right now. All I can do is go to the golf dome and hit balls, which seems to be going fairly well right now. But until I can get out on real grass, and mark numbers down on a scorecard, who really knows? Here's hoping for an early end to Winter and a warm, dry Spring!

[CCC]

Not good, improving.

[Blackjack Don]

2 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

I voted other.

I feel like I've peaked at a very low level. I wouldn't consider it a plateau however.

I still practice - perhaps even in a more disciplined way. Still take video and analyze it and still try to improve. But the drive for improvement I had prior to this winter is gone. To be honest, I hope it doesn't come back.

I don't mind the obsession and love I have for the game - golf is perfect for my lifestyle. I just really, really hate the obsession I had chasing improvement along the disappointment that failure bought about. 

I want to transition towards enjoying the game I own - even if that game isn't very good by most standards.

Thank you for your honesty. I hope you are able to find the pleasure in playing, just for yourself. It won't be easy, but it is a worthy goal. Best of luck.