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norcalgolf
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About norcalgolf
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- Birthday 11/30/1970
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Hacker
Your Golf Game
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norcalgolf's Achievements
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My natural shot shape is a draw. Not much of one though. With a driver, if I am striking it well, I get like a 5 yard draw, shorter clubs my only be a 2-3 yards. When I am not striking it well, well, then it is a different issue. :) I sometimes can play a fade, and sometimes I can't. It is easier for me to fade my driver/3wood and hybrids than my irons.
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Twice I have done it. The first time was after 9 holes on the second day of playing in Scottsdale, AZ. I was seriously hung over, and hadn't slept much the night before. I shot a 54 on the front 9 and was just miserable due to the heat. I was a slow round due to a shotgun tournament going on. I just decided to call it a day and go in. The second time was a twilight round, and it wasn't suppose to rain, but did a storm came out of no where and just started dumping on us, and kept going and going.. tried to wait it out and just finally gave up.
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I found for me the more I hit balls at the range the more I screw up my swing. What I have started to do is work mostly on my wedges, and work on getting good contact, etc. Good tempo, etc. I will chip a lot and practice around the greens, putt, etc. I will take a break in between and go and hit maybe 50 balls, just focusing on contact and tempo. Go back to short game practicing and then maybe finish up with another 50 balls. Now if something is wrong in my swing (usually the dreaded hooks are back), I will set aside time to work on things at the range. I have two big swing issues right now. The first is I get quick in my take away. The second is even when I don't get quick in my take away I sometimes get quick in my downswing. So really I have one major flaw right now and it is tempo. I will do other little things here and there (I do sometimes come a bit over the top and pull the ball a bit), but I can usually adjust these fairly quick. What is my big problem is tempo. My tempo gets off and I do all the things I shouldn't. My tempo stays on and I really like my swing.
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Definitely check the lofts on your wedges. I used to have the same problem, and finally went with a 58 degree lob wedge. Easier to consistently hit than the 60, just as easy out of the bunker. My next wedge is a 52, and then my PW is a 47 degree. As I get better though, I may do a 54/60 combo with my next two wedges, then again maybe not :) Also definitely look at your 5w/3i/4i. Figure out what you hit all 3 of them, and maybe look at 2 hybrids to replace the 3 that fill in the gaps. Or maybe just 1 hybrid that replaces your 5w/3i.
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I like Bears Best for the most part. Each hole is pretty nice, but the course doesn't feel like 1 course, it really feels like 18 holes in many ways. I loved TPC Canyons though. If I had to choose between the two, I would go with TPC Canyons, but they are both good plays.
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Welcome to any course in California along the coast in the winter time. I try to avoid any course that has Poa Annua greens that is along the coast during the winter months. The greens are SO bumpy. I have played down in the Monterey area before and after the AT&T; in Feb. and I don't know how the pros do it. Even 1 footers are an adventure.
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I think I can become a scratch golfer after 1 year of playing
norcalgolf replied to GITrDONE's topic in Golf Talk
Anything is possible :) Unlikely, but if you want to commit the time, energy and money, go for it. I know several scratch/near scratch players, and as my handicap keeps coming down, I see the areas they excel in. Better short game and better putting. In my case for example my ball striking is at the point where I feel my scoring is not as good as my game. This really stems from not practicing my short game enough. My distance control with my wedges isn't there when playing different shots. My lag putting is not really strong, and I still struggle to regularly make anything over 3 feet. Can it be done, sure. There are some people who have been able do it in the past I am sure. Can you do it? That is for you to figure out. Good luck. -
I carry the opposite hand glove in my bag. I do wear it in the winter months, early in the morning when it is cold out. One right handed glove has lasted me two years though so it shows how little I wear it.
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60° Wedge, LOVE IT OR HATE IT?
norcalgolf replied to withdrew's topic in Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting
I used to carry a 52, 56, and 60, and would swap between the 3 depending on the course. Most time I carried the 52 and the 60. I didn't like having that large of a gap between the 2 wedges. When I wore out my previous 52, I went to a 52/58 combination instead. I use the 58 out of the sand, and as a lob wedge. I find that I hit it more constantly from the fairway than I did my 60. My personal opinion after watching many high handicappers come up short fairly consistently with their 60, if you don't hit it well, try a 58. Gives you the loft you need while being a bit easier to hit. -
Which Configuration? 4-SW or 3-PW?
norcalgolf replied to PJStyles's topic in Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting
I would buy what works for you :) Definitely try the SW from the set and see if it is one you want to use, if not then if you don't want a 3 iron, just order 4-PW or 5-PW. If you like using your long irons, then order 3-PW. For me, my previous set of irons, I ordered 5-PW and I regretted it. As I have gotten better with my longer irons, there are courses that I would have liked to have a 4 iron or a 3 iron in my bag. My latest set of irons I picked up 3-PW and I also picked up the 2 iron. Do I carry it that often, no. My usually set is a 3 hybrid, a 4 hybrid, and a 4 iron. But depending on the course and conditions, I may only carry irons, or I may drop my 4 iron and replace it with my 2 hybrid. Basically figure out what works for you based on what you like to hit/play and order accordingly :) -
You are correct on both. The flagstick question is answered in Decision 17-1/5: 17-1/5 Holding Flagstick with One Hand and Putting with Other Hand Q. A player holds the flagstick with one hand and holes a short putt, gripping the putter with his other hand. Is this permissible? A. Yes, provided the flagstick has been removed from the hole and the ball therefore does not strike it. If the ball were to strike the flagstick, a breach of Rule 17-3a would occur. The window is an interesting one and your scenerio is sort of covered in the decisions: 24-2b/14 Window of Clubhouse Opened and Ball Played Through Window Q. A competitor hit a ball into a clubhouse which was not out of bounds and had not been declared an integral part of the course. In order to play it out, he opened a window, claiming that it was a movable (or partially movable) obstruction. Was this permissible? A. Yes. The clubhouse was an immovable obstruction. However, any part of it designed to be movable, such as a window or door, may be moved to any position if this can be done without undue delay. The same principle would apply if the clubhouse had been declared an integral part of the course.
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My response was responding to Warik's mention that you can take an unplayable lie when your ball is against a boundry fence. My comment was that you don't get swing relief with respect to an unplayable and that you receive 2 club lengths relief under the penalty of one stroke (not 1 club like he mentioned). I was just following up to his option and clarifying your options with an unplayable. Yes there are different rules being discussed but there wasn't any confusion on my part.
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When is it time to switch to a different set of teeboxes?
norcalgolf replied to Mr.Buckethead's topic in Golf Talk
As everyone has said, the color of the tees is irrelevant, what matters is the appropriate yardage for your game. If I am playing by myself, I will usually play the tees that are 6500-6700. I am happy to go down to 6000 or so (usually the whites) when playing with friends. I stopped playing the 5800-6200 (whites) tees when I was mainly hitting driver/3 wood - wedge on many of all the par 4s. And when I was hitting driver, mid-long iron into the par 5s. At the end of the it depends on how I am feeling with my game, the course, the conditions (winter I will usually play whites more because there is zero to little roll and the courses can play long). I played a course in NH a couple times recently called The Shattuck. The Blues are only 6077 yards and then it goes back to the Blacks which are 6764. This is at a higher elevation then I play in California (ie sea level here), so 6700 yards is no problem for me as it is what I normally play out here. But with the Shattuck, the course plays way longer than the yardage and I followed the handicap guidelines they provided. I hit 1 driver the second time I played it (hit 3 the first time, realized I should not have hit it on two of the holes that I did). Though handicap isn't the only guide. I play regularly with a number of people who have similar handicaps as I do, but the distance we hit the ball is definitely different. I hit the ball longer. So if we were to play the longer tee boxes, I have the big advantage, but it forces me to be less aggressive when we play the shorter tee boxes, and I end up scoring better. The person who recommended playing different tee boxes, I would agree. Playing the course shorter/longer than you normally would really makes you think about course management more. -
I play with someone who is an 18-20 handicap. He can hit it 300 yards, 1 out of ever 3 or 4 drives. The problem is he has no idea where it is going. Same with his irons. Has no concept of how distance changes with respect to wind, uphill, downhill, etc. Hits ball far, goes and finds ball, hits ball again. There is so much that goes into average driving distance. For me, my clubhead speed is right around 100mph. (usually 97-101). I have been measured multiple times for fittings and over the last year each of my three fittings has come back at this. (why 3 fittings? just trying out different manufacturers and also got new irons and a new driver this last year). My normal carry is 245-250 at sea level at around 65-70 degrees. With roll during the summer, I won't hit driver if I could run out of room before 270-275. Do I hit that far all the time? No. But when I hit my driver well, I can get the ball out 270ish with roll, etc. My longest drive is about 362, but that is a huge downhill. 462 yard hole, par 4 and had exactly 100 yards into a center pin. But this weekend I hit a driver 200 yards (push blocked one into the wind). Not pretty. Many people do stretch the truth. My dad is a great example. Everytime I talk to him, he swears he hits it 270-280 off the tee. Doesn't happen but once in a blue moon with a good cart path bounce :) I just let him believe.
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I have a couple. Each are good in their own right: 1) First time breaking 90 2) First time breaking 80 3) First eagle 4) Par on a Par 5 after putting my tee ball O.B. (eagled the second ball) 5) The most perfect 3 wood I hit from about 250 yards out after hooking my drive to the first fairway. Left about 10 ft. for eagle, made the putt. 6) Holing out from 88 yards after I pulled my tee ball into the crap and just punching back to the fairway. 7) Everytime I hit a nice smooth 5 yard draw with my driver that is the perfect height and carries about 250-260 and rolls out another 20-30 yards. 8) When I got fitted for clubs and I was told I really need stiff flex steel for my irons. 9) Each time I tee off on the first hole and walk down the fairway from the tee box in perfect weather. 10) In one of the clubs I belong in, we have an individual who can bomb the ball, but his swing is just a mess. His club head almost hits the ground at the end of his backswing (he goes that far past parallel). He hits a high high left to right ball. It goes far but not always straight. The problem is that the wind just knocks his ball down. Downwind his ball will definitely go past me, but into the wind, I can keep my drives lower and keep them from being affected by the wind as much. I have beaten him for long drive twice when it has been into the wind. Drives him crazy. Just one of those, technique does have its advantages. 11) The first time I played an entire round of golf by the rules. (of course I do this all the time now, but the first time I did it was pretty eye opening). Took me a bit of time to break 100 again.