808hacker

> Ha, I had this thought yesterday. An acceptance that unless I can magically find about 10 more hours a week to devote to practice then I will always by in this bogey golf range. I have accepted that "par" for me is bogey. I now score my rounds as + / - bogey golf. YES! That's exactly how I feel and notice we have around the same handicap. I just played this course that I always manage to screw up on. But this time, I had my "fixed" putting and despite my reservations, I went for the green almost every time rather than laying up. Usually I barely break 100 on this course - always managing to shoot 99 or something. This time, last hole, if I par, I make 87. I hit the drive OB! Damn. Hit the next drive fine. 3 wood to a couple inches off the green. 7i to 2 feet and make the putt. 89. I will take it. p.s. seems like no one picked up on the putting trick I posted on a separate thread but it has been really working for me. I love one putts!

Crazy last round. Start off with 2 pars, then a double, then 2 pars and another double. Switched back to my Callaway and was getting much longer drives - but I also hit out a couple of times. But there was still hope. At times I was making fun saves by using my 7 iron to chip close to the hole several times (it's my go to, save me club). Had the usual miss hits that ruin the round. Came to the last hole. Needed no more than bogey to shoot 89. Good drive, then hit a really weak hybrid that cleared a pond ... at least I think so - it did but moved back to the pond!!!! Was right on the edge. Pulled out the 7 iron determined to get it on the green no matter what. It did, but it went too far and was off the edge of the green. Was going to use putter but was convinced to use my go to club - 7 iron! hehehehe Put it 2 feet away - still more work. Made the putt. Got away with one. 89.

Yes, you can't beat a laser. But Golflogix gets you most of the way. it's very convenient. If you enter your club distances into GL, it overlays your clubs on the green. I really like that for deciding which club to use. If you let it "hone in" it's pretty accurate. I have used it on my iPhone and Android phone and both worked well.

Yeah, I know the gym would help for sure! 20 yards further is great! I've taken lessons in the past but it took me so long to get a repeatable swing that I have kind of given up the chase for more distance. Every now and then I will try something but usually with consequences.... bad ones!

I was replying to another thread when I remembered something that really worked for me in the beginning. Swing easily and find a speed that works for you when you are on the range. Match that swing to a metronome app - get any free one and use the tap tempo feature to match your swing tempo. Now store that speed (write it down) in the metronome app. Now go on the course and start the metronome and swing to that speed. I think you may be amazed at how well this works. Although I don't do this now, I remember it helping me make great shots when I was starting out. I think you will find that your on course "tempo" i.e. swing speed is much higher than when you are relaxed on the driving range and this can be a problem on the course. Anyway, hope it helps.

Usually the range is with mats. You can hit behind the ball and still make decent shots on the range. Anyway, FWIW, I used to "pretend" I am on the course and do everything I can to make a good swing. I also take a lot of time between the same club - maybe only hit one. Switch clubs etc... Also make sure you hitting to a target. What I like to do on the range is to try different things - extend my arms, shorter backswing, be relaxed, be more tense, grip pressure etc... Once I find something that works. I write it down. Then go back days/week later and try and do what I wrote down. If it works, great, otherwise, find something that works. When I go on the course, it's at the point that if I have a problem - a fix is in my "book" - actually in my notes on my phone. I really think a large percentage of problems are due to bad tempo. I know this sounds stupid, but try and swing to a metronome. Find your swing tempo, then for fun, try it on the course. I think you may be amazed.

I guarantee you I am one of the shortest hitters here. When I play, people can't believe what irons I am using! PW = 95 9i = 105 8i = 115 7i = 125 6i = 136 5i = about 142 5 hybrid around 160 4 hybrid 175+ 3 wood around 185+ Driver - anywhere from 185 with a bad swing to 225 with a good swing. Not counting all the fake rollouts or downhill drives which can skew the numbers really high. I really struggle with long courses. I know the numbers are sad but I can still have a good, decent time because I am very accurate most of the time. One time, this (drunk) guy got completely upset that I was using a hybrid for a 160 yard par 3. He said that no one should use a hybrid unless they are hitting over 200. I got pissed off and hit my 5i on the green but in reality, I only hit my 5i 142. Whatever.

Waiting on Skenny. :-) I've tried a whole bunch of stuff. Short of starting over and really getting fit, the ball is not going much farther for me no matter what I seem to do!

Quote: I recently found significant extra distance with a swing modification. Not sharing? :-) Was the modification easy?

I always wanted a day when I would not miss my shots and this was the day. Unfortunately I found out I have other glaring weaknesses. I hit every par 3 green - only to bogey half of them due to 3 putts. My Callaway Razr is so good! I put a Titleist x-stiff blue shaft from my son's 910 driver (had someone put on the adapter). I keep forgetting how good it is. My wedge play is rotten and my putting is still terrible - but aim is a lot better.

Dave, Don't feel bad. I had the best ball striking day of my life. It started with me trying my old Callaway Razr instead of my new Taylormade jet speed. The Razr was so good - never missed a fairway!!!!! All irons good, 3 wood perfect. All my layups GREAT! Then what do I do with all this perfection????? Hit stupid wedge shots too short and into bunkers. Pace off putts and still screw up by hitting too long or too short - with the inclined greens, I managed to 3 putt multiple times. Aim is good, pace is bad. Still had my bad hole with a triple bogey due to stupidity. As a result, after the triple, I was back to bogey golf again. Ended up with 86 which is decent but not really considering how good I was hitting the ball. Anyway JetSpeed goes in the driver pile of no goods.....

It's been 3 weeks since I posted and I am happy to say that my putting woes are gone! After doing that video about figuring out the "correct" stance, my putting has dramatically improved. It has fixed my path issues that I have been having and now I am putting a lot better. How much better? Yesterday I had six one putts and three two putts. NO 3 PUTTS! I'm making way more putts simply because I am hitting my lines! I went from the worst to decent now. It's much more fun when I can make a few putts.

Thanks Rick, But the tour players are playing much more difficult greens that I assume I am. I get frustrated when I ask other people to try the putt and they make it nearly every single time. I am not kidding you, I am one of the worst putters I have seen but things are looking up! (BTW: LSW said that most people feel this way about their putting).

I know that video seems crazy, but someone please try it. I have never putted as good as I have recently. Of course it's only been a few days but my stroke is so much better with the correct stance. I always used to fight my stroke going back and forth - either being too wrist or not, or seeing the putter go offline. This stance change actually made a difference for me.

Back with another zany idea. Saw this on this website from long ago. I verified that yes, this guy is right in that there is a stance which makes the arms move together nicely. Verified that it seems to smooth out my putting motion. Used it on the course not expecting much. Had 2 birdies and no 3 putts in 9 holes. Hope it continues to help - like any other golfing tip - take it with a grain of salt!!!!!

Thanks guys! Will try those. A lot of it is in my head now. When I go to practice greens my distance control is awesome! I mean I can go and just look at the hole and putt it close many times without any problem. Something happens on the course and that's the problem. Although I am a true 16 handicap, I could be at least 3 strokes less if I could just putt decently on the course. If I am about 3-5 feet away from the hole, I almost always miss. The ball is past the hole a foot past either an inch left or right - or it lips out. I am the only person not excited when my ball is 3 feet away from the hole on a par 3. It's because I know I will probably make par. Finally, when I pitch to the hole, I am always guaranteed to be 3-5 feet from the hole!!!!!!!! I went an entire round with the other player just marveling at how every putt was lipping out or just missing by a bit. It was comical. I guess the good news was I never 3 putt on that round, but I never made a one putt either.

I realized today why there are so many times that I hit my goal scoring-wise, but still am not content with what I have done - PUTTING!!!!! The part of golf I am worst at is putting and it's the last thing I always do for every hole. I can't stand 3 putting and yet it seems like it happens far too often. I noticed that if I am 5-10 feet away, I almost always miss as well. There is this one particularly long par 4 (for me) - ~470 yard par 4. I can get it reasonably close due to a good chip/shot, but then I always miss the putt! Today, I 3 putt on the last green as well. Made my bogey golf score but several 3 putts and that missed 8-10 feet putt ruined the round. Anyone else have the dreaded putting problem?

LSW is great, but for breaking 90, the books I listed and tips should allow you to break 90. The books I listed are very practical and an extremely easy read with great results.

I posted this before and I believe it works: Quote: Try this the next time. Make practice swings and do not swing any faster than you can balance. I mean really pay attention to how fast you can swing in complete balance. Do this while sweeping the ground with your club. When it's time to hit, do not swing any faster. It will feel slower but you will probably make better contact and you will have more time to square the club face. Good luck!

This is the breaking 90 thread so these tips helped me the most. 1: Forget par - if you get it, GREAT! Otherwise, play every hole as a bogey hole and .... be happy when you get a bogey. Things change drastically when you know you have an extra shot. 2: Make contact with the ball - what I mean is be honest with yourself - if you are going to top that 3 wood, then use a hybrid or your most trusted club that you can hit and not completely waste a shot. 3: Practice your chipping and putting as much as you can to save bogey. 4: If you miss the green, get on the green ASAP.... with your next shot. Then 2 putt. You will probably break 90 because if you bogey every hole except one hole, you have broken 90. If you make one par, you can make a double on another hole and still be where you want. Golf is tough, I think if you just play once a week and not practice, then bogey golf is a reasonable goal. Any better than that, and you probably need to play more or practice at the range. I guess no one cares as long as you don't slow pace of play. :-)

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.

> then practice and practice some more to find out what works for you. 9wood posted a great tip. Go to the range and do whatever you need to do to hit the ball as reliably as you can. It may be "keeping your head as still as you can" or "brace your right knee" or "always sweep the ground". Whatever it is, figure it out and take that swing thought with you to the next round. FEEL the way you felt on the driving range and pretend you are on the driving range and have your swing thought. Calm yourself down and try to swing smoothly and make contact and it will be fun! Oh and I forgot one of the #1 things.... Practice your alignment. I cannot tell you how many people I see aiming all over the place - the wrong places.

Jack, If you have a smart phone, then download Golflogix and keep stats. Or write down your #1 problem and only work on that. About dead aim, try and aim for center of green every time and if you are always short, then take the club that "theoretically" will put you at the back of the green. I have found that balance and good contact is better than wild swings and misses - so always swing in balance as best you can and make contact. So don't swing any faster than you in perfect balance and always sweep the ground so you will make contact with the ball. One thing I notice that people do (including me) is not do a full turn, so there are a lot of missed shots to the right or hooks - so try and complete that follow through. Once you start shooting in the 90s reliably it's so hard to shoot 100 again. I know you will get there. As for books... I love this book: http://www.amazon.com/Short-Hitting-Golfers-Break-Time/dp/1453698922 and the Andy Chao series: http://www.amazon.com/KEYS-GOLF-Efficiently-beginning-Demystified-ebook/dp/B00CAYPGNU/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

That would be MOOG.

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 -