New guy here

[Casualgolfer]

Hey guys after some lurking around some different forums I decided to join the ranks at the sand trap. Started golfing a couple years after I stopped playing baseball in college and was working on my game fairly regularly. Then life happened lol. Married, baby, etc... So I quit playing. Just recently started getting serious about improving my game. On a quest to break 80 at the moment with my best being an 82 recently. Always been pretty long off the box thanks to baseball so I have been working on my iron play and short game. Still got a long way to go but I feel like I will soon be breaking 80 consistently. Glad to be here and hope I can learn from those much better than me on here.

[NoName]

Welcome to the forum, CasualG. 

[Club Rat]

Welcome to the Trap   

[Patch]

Welcome to TST. Lots good folks here. You will have fun. 

Don't worry. That 82 will be a 78 before you know it. 

 

[Casualgolfer]

50 minutes ago, Patch said:

Welcome to TST. Lots good folks here. You will have fun. 

Don't worry. That 82 will be a 78 before you know it. 

 

I know I'm so close. I got a new driver that is really helping me I feel but it is almost too long leaving me with in between pitch shots for my 2nd shots. Actually drove a green today and 3 putted for par..... Go figure. Like I said, definitely need some short game work.

[dennyjones]

Welcome to TST

[Valleygolfer]

Welcome to the trap. The line gets finer the lower you go. Just try to enjoy the process!

[klineka]

11 hours ago, Casualgolfer said:

I know I'm so close. I got a new driver that is really helping me I feel but it is almost too long leaving me with in between pitch shots for my 2nd shots. Actually drove a green today and 3 putted for par..... Go figure. Like I said, definitely need some short game work.

Welcome to TST! 

In your quest to break 80, pars will never hurt you. 11 pars and 7 bogies will get you a 79.

Post around a bit and if you want, start a My Swing thread, which doesnt just have to be your full swing, people can help with short game and putting there too. 

https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/

 

Good Luck!

[Foot Wedge]

12 hours ago, Casualgolfer said:

I got a new driver that is really helping me I feel but it is almost too long leaving me with in between pitch shots for my 2nd shots.

I wish I had your problem. Many here will back up that distance only helps.  That 50-90 yard range is only awkward if you haven't practiced those shots and don't know your yardages.  Spend some time dialing in your wedges and you'll be better off using driver more often over a long iron or hybrid off the tee.  Welcome to the site and best of luck!

[Casualgolfer]

59 minutes ago, Foot Wedge said:

I wish I had your problem. Many here will back up that distance only helps.  That 50-90 yard range is only awkward if you haven't practiced those shots and don't know your yardages.  Spend some time dialing in your wedges and you'll be better off using driver more often over a long iron or hybrid off the tee.  Welcome to the site and best of luck!

That's what I'm realizing. I played 9 yesterday and shot a 41 and with my new driver I was way longer than I'm used to. Was probably averaging over 320 with some being a bit longer. Anything under 120 yards is a feel shot for me and I get in between a whether I pitch, chip, or bump and run. Any time I can take a 3/4 swing or more I feel better.

[klineka]

2 hours ago, Casualgolfer said:

That's what I'm realizing. I played 9 yesterday and shot a 41 and with my new driver I was way longer than I'm used to. Was probably averaging over 320 with some being a bit longer. 

What I'm about to say might come off as rude, but thats not my intention whatsoever.

Its highly unlikely that you were averaging over 320 yds with your drives. No golfer on the PGA tour this year averages 320 yards (the longest is Trey Mullinax at 319.8) and you are claiming that you averaged over 320 for 9 holes, so probably 6-7 drives?

If you truly are averaging 320+, then great, thats a valuable asset to your golf game, but please understand the suspicion that myself and I'm sure others on here will have of a new member joining the site and with their 3rd post claiming on average they can out drive the entire PGA tour. 

[Casualgolfer]

4 hours ago, klineka said:

What I'm about to say might come off as rude, but thats not my intention whatsoever.

Its highly unlikely that you were averaging over 320 yds with your drives. No golfer on the PGA tour this year averages 320 yards (the longest is Trey Mullinax at 319.8) and you are claiming that you averaged over 320 for 9 holes, so probably 6-7 drives?

If you truly are averaging 320+, then great, thats a valuable asset to your golf game, but please understand the suspicion that myself and I'm sure others on here will have of a new member joining the site and with their 3rd post claiming on average they can out drive the entire PGA tour. 

No problem here lol. When I got fitted my club speed was averaging about 127 mph. I was fitted with a x stiff, tipped, 82g Diamana shaft with a Titleist D2 head at 8.5 degrees which I had down to 7.75 degrees. I just stopped playing this driver as I was hitting drives square that would check backward 5-6 feet in the fairway and could never get my flight down. I just picked up a driver off eBay that must be lowering my back spin by a ton. It is a 5 degree mutant golf Brute 2.0 head with a house of forged black diamond xx shaft. I can still hit high moon balls but it just keeps carrying where before it would almost yo yo back to me I felt. I actually played today ( 47 on front and 40 on back). Drove it right on the center of one green that said 347 on the card but I probably hit it closer to 335. I hit a bullet on a par 5 that went a laser verified 340 and I carried way past the par 4 green I hit the other day that is 320+. Wind was at my back and I crushed a ball a little left that went 50+ yards past pin high. Had my dad with me today also. He couldn't believe how much further I hit my new driver. The new club is 48" which is admittedly a little long but club speed I'm thinking is approaching 130+. I was the guy in the baseball line up that would hit it 150 yards (450 feet+) with a wood bat lol. Can hit it over 300 with 3 wood at times, have been over 200 yards with my 7 iron and between 150-160 yards with pitching wedge depending on conditions. Sand wedge 120 on a full swing. Anything under is a feel shot which I need to work on badly.

[DeadMan]

A link that might help you:

Another thing people do when they're trying to dial in distances close to the green is to go figure out how long each a partial length swing goes. So, with your wedges, go out and figure out how far a 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 swing goes. They don't actually have to be 1/2 or 3/4 swings, just your feel for what those are. You should be able to get more distances at closer ranges with that technique and the partial swings.

Edited to add: I found a link to the thread talking about partial swing distances, too:

 

Edited May 16, 2018 by DeadMan

[Casualgolfer]

Thank you for those links. Definitely a weakness of mine. Putting has been bad lately also which usually it isn't terrible but I have 3 putted way too many times.

[Neilbran3]

Nice to have  a chat with you here. Welcome!

[Casualgolfer]

8 hours ago, Neilbran3 said:

Nice to have  a chat with you here. Welcome!

Thank you. Glad to be here. Hopefully will be able to play today if it doesn't rain.

[Neilbran3]

23 hours ago, Casualgolfer said:

Thank you. Glad to be here. Hopefully will be able to play today if it doesn't rain.

Yeah sure. But where I live start raining from morning. 😞