Your Golf Game - The Uplifting Topic

[Maroon88]

In the last year, I've dropped my index from 12 to currently 6.4. The lowest it got was 5.8.

I've had more rounds in the 70's this year that any other, and recently shot 74, 88, 75, 78 in a one week span.  The last 2 were in tournaments, one which I won my flight.

I attribute my recent success to a series of lessons last year, and dedicating more work to my wedges and putting.

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, Maroon88 said:

In the last year, I've dropped my index from 12 to currently 6.4. The lowest it got was 5.8.

I've had more rounds in the 70's this year that any other, and recently shot 74, 88, 75, 78 in a one week span.  The last 2 were in tournaments, one which I won my flight.

I attribute my recent success to a series of lessons last year, and dedicating more work to my wedges and putting.

Excellent! You can celebrate your success by picking an avatar!

[Wade Patton]

My chipping is way better than ever, I'm hitting more greens, and I'm about to join the state golf association so I can begin to establish a new handicap. Birdies are yet  sparse, but they'll come. 

Next to work on my long irons and tee shots, fades and draws and such. 

[Wade Patton]

YES!!! 

I can hit the big sticks again!  My TFCC injury is healed and there's no more pain at impact.  Made it to a real course yesterday and nailed some sweet drives and one fine 4w shot. Confidence in the driver is coming back, it used to be a strong part of my game. Also made a birdie putt after a beautiful 7-iron tee shot on the first par 3. The putt was about 12-14', I didn't pace it per normal, and it broke about 1/2 a cup, nearly lipped out-but fell. 

I had just walked up and swatted it into the hole like I knew what I was doing! 😅

Bad news is that the old course (one that I played on 35+ years ago-quite possibly the first course I ever played), needs updating. The practice green is kaput and the rest have shrunk and gotten a bit ragged. I'll be going elsewhere for most of my golf.

[bkuehn1952]

My new set of clubs (replaced a 20-year-old set) have been performing for me (or I have been performing for them). I was concerned that the "new relationship" would have a rocky start and I might sour on the replacements. Now I look forward to a looooong Autumn and short Winter.

[chop]

I started playing golf when I was 34. I played a handful of times that year and got hooked. The next year I had my own clubs, Ram Lasers.  Now I am 67 with an 8 hdcp. 

 That said, in 2022 I figured out something that I was missing and have lost something I had. I can now hit straight drives in the fairway. I was always a fighter of the slice. Those days are finally over thanks to a better take-away and better swing path which I have "perfected" over the last 2 years. The thing I lost was my iron play. I lost a little youthful strength and about a half club of distance with my irons which I was never that long with, but I used to be more accurate. The problem seems to be the shafts in my irons are too stiff for me now. I can still play them but it's just not the same so, I'm looking to make a change.

 After 22 years with my beloved Callaway X-14 irons I'm jumping over to the Ping i230. I love the look and the feel.  I bought a 6 iron only to start, with my specs with a 90-gram Elevate95MPH shaft in stiff flex that is much softer and about 10 grams lighter than the constant weight shafts in my X-14s. This shaft feels so unstable when hitting a ball but when I look up the ball is going straighter, higher, and longer than the Callaway's which you would think would seal the deal right? It's really hard to say goodbye to these Callaway's. Over the years I have bought 3 other sets of irons and got rid of them after 2 months. I don't want to do that with these Ping irons. With my newfound driving skills, you would think I wouldn't hesitate. I think I'm going to try the Modus3 shafts first but I'm going to get these irons and I'm going to get my hdcp down under a 5 and I'm going to shoot my age this year. That's the plan. Wish me luck.

[Wade Patton]

I can shoot my age on nine...no problem! 😂 But also that's a goal with my rekindled golf drive (for a proper 18). I'm 56 so I've got about 20 years before it becomes any sort of possibility.

I had a slump after my post above in October. Actually it was the very next weekend when I had a rotten round. This led to a re-thinking of my entire dynamics and I've found a new line of thought, a simpler swing that works for me. It has taken some time to begin to get the new setup to feel natural, but it's coming along very nicely.  Last outing was brilliant but for the putting and most of that is caused by the wonderfully difficult little greens on the course I play most right now. I hit four of the first four greens (all par3) in windy conditions yet mild conditions, only making one birdie, but had a lot of "tap in" pars and nothing worse than a few bogeys. My Palmer Standard '85's were the tool for the day and I was very pleased with them.

Here are two shots of note: The orange ball was the third hole and a full 9-iron I let the wind play with.  The yellow ball wasn't super tight, but I loved it because it was a great result using a choked down grip, and a half-swing with a 5i on 140 yard hole, with a 20mph tailwind. It was my last hole and I had actually decided to hit a second shot with my 9 (was only carrying 9,5,and putter because it's a par3 course). I had quickly worked out the dynamics of how to hook the nine to get it to run that far (old time "weak" lofts you know). I think I had more mental energy tied up in what I was planning to do with the 9, and the 5 shot was just "instinctive" after I said "half swing" to myself as I lined it up. After hitting the first shot that close I didn't even try the 9. I was ready to get out of the breeze and on with my day.

Birdies to all in '23,
May they all fall and bounce right in.

 

[bkuehn1952]

On 1/1/2023 at 11:40 AM, chop said:

 After 22 years with my beloved Callaway X-14 irons I'm jumping over to the Ping i230.

I had a set of those. One of my grandsons has it. I just gave up my X-18's after a 20 year run. You will figure it out.

[phan52]

My GHIN app shows a re-wind of 2022, showing my index went from 11.6 to 13.6. I am going to completely reverse that in 2023. 

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, phan52 said:

My GHIN app shows a re-wind of 2022, showing my index went from 11.6 to 13.6. I am going to completely reverse that in 2023. 

Yep. We have a topic for those.

[Voltron1]

I've realized I just can't play anymore, so no need to really spend time or money on equipment or practicing. 

I'll be stuck at shooting around 50-55 for 9 and about 102-110 for 18.

No sense in putting any energy or effort into a game when I can shoot awful scores on no practice just as easily. 

 

 

[GolfLug]

2 hours ago, Voltron1 said:

I've realized I just can't play anymore, so no need to really spend time or money on equipment or practicing. 

I'll be stuck at shooting around 50-55 for 9 and about 102-110 for 18.

No sense in putting any energy or effort into a game when I can shoot awful scores on no practice just as easily. 

 

 

Didn't get an uplifting vibe from the post.

[Voltron1]

1 minute ago, GolfLug said:

Didn't get an uplifting vibe from the post.

You should feel blessed you can actually play this game. There's your morale booster 😄 

[GolfLug]

29 minutes ago, Voltron1 said:

You should feel blessed you can actually play this game. There's your morale booster 😄 

My apologies, didn't mean to jab.

[Voltron1]

38 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

My apologies, didn't mean to jab.

No worries and zero need to apologize. I didn't even take it as a jab. I just find very little that's uplifting about this game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bucki1968]

26 minutes ago, Voltron1 said:

No worries and zero need to apologize. I didn't even take it as a jab. I just find very little that's uplifting about this game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you may be doing it wrong.

[Voltron1]

11 minutes ago, Bucki1968 said:

I think you may be doing it wrong.

Go Bucks!

 

Of course I'm doing it wrong. If I was capable of doing it right, then I'd actually be good. 

[GolfLug]

2 hours ago, Voltron1 said:

I just find very little that's uplifting about this game.

I really feel for you. I honestly can't say I have ever felt despair of  that level that but have been around others who get there souls sucked out of their chests playing this cruel game of zero tolerance. Even when playing well a properly placed hard punch that knocks teeth out of the best of them is only one shot away. Every...... freaking..... time. That's just how she is. No prisoners. Hang in there.