bluecollar01

May not be of any help to you but what I found helped my pitch and chip shots was really committing to the shot. I was decelerating a lot as I made contact which caused chunking, topping or blading the ball. When I commit to my shot I make good contact and the results are much better than when I decelerate. Again, probably not the issue for you but thought I'd share – one hacker to another :)

Thanks for the reply. I was just curious as it seemed that the rule(s) could be applied differently in the same situation, which is disconcerting. I think the variance in "judgement" is what usually causes the debates over these types of infractions. Definitely appreciated the feedback!

Time to play what if – If Tiger had called a rules official over and told the official that the ball oscillated but did not move but he still wanted a ruling. The rules official then says you're good - no penalty. Later this "video evidence" comes to light which indicates it moved vs oscillated. Does Tiger still get the two-stroke penalty? Just curious.

You should silently "crop dust" the box prior to your opponent teeing off. It will definitely distract him when the noxious fumes burn his nose hairs off.

I agree that speed is the key but as I don't practice it enough, it's difficult for me to judge the proper speed on inclined/declined greens from that distance. I try to protect against the three-putt as well. I'm just saying that getting the ball close from that distance is a skill that I think most "average" golfers haven't developed enough.

I wish every putt I attempted was going in the hole. A few of the articles I've read were of the opinion that amateurs three-putt more often than pros because of their lack of putting skill beyond 20 feet. And, that increasing their ability to lag putt from distance would improve their score quicker than other areas. I'm not an expert so I don't know if it's true but I know that when I started hitting more GIR my number of putts went up. And, getting into a 6 foot circle from 60 feet away is tougher than it looks (for someone of my limited ability :).

Not much different than the other answers people have provided but I think course management has to be number one. It's something that has to be considered on every hole prior to your tee shot as well as between every shot. 1. Course Management 2. Off-the-tee (woods/irons) 3. Approach (irons) 4. Wedge/short iron game (pitch/chip/bump-n-run) 5. Lag Putting 6. Putting I also separated putting and lag putting. As your approach shots get better (GIR) your proximity to the hole is likely going to increase. Lag putting IMHO is a different skill or at least one that most bogey golfers aren't very good at but maybe that's just me .

Made up a round from league yesterday. Shot a 43. Had a couple of doubles - one from a duffed tee shot and another from trying to bend (draw) a ball around a corner with my hybrid (it bent alright, right into the woods). Overall, I was very happy with my score though. Cheers! Also, had a great drive on a 347 yard par 4. Hole doglegs slightly right with a fairway that slopes left to right. Ended up about 30 yards off the green. Chipped to about 4 feet and sank my putt for birdie. Woot! Woot!

Anytime I use a an iron from the tee box I hit it off the ground. The only exception is when I use my 3H or 4H, then I'll tee it very slightly off the ground. I don't use a tee with the traditional irons because I seem to make poor contact. Something about the ball being slightly elevated bothers my eyes and I never make clean contact. So, I treat it just like any shot from the fairway. Not sure everyone does this but when I'm hitting an iron shot, I focus my eyes/aim about 2 inches in front of the ball. I think when the ball is tee'd up it keeps drawing my eyes/aim back to the front of the ball and I usually chunk it. I'm weird, yes I know

The young man showed remarkable character in calling the infraction on himself and as others have pointed out, he did so according to the letter of the rule. It was unfortunate and I wish that the "spirit" of the rule could be applied instead as I'm sure the rule was written to keep the integrity of competition true and fair, meaning that no one would gain an unfair advantage. As others have pointed out this would bring subjectivity into the game which could introduce bias. I'm sure the ultimate winner of the match didn't want to win on a technicality either (although, he pretty much had the match in hand). Still, I think in some instances the fairest thing to do is to apply a more liberal judgement. I'm sure my opinion isn't a popular one and I'm positive that it goes against the rules of golf but that's okay with me. Hit 'em long and straight.

I'm going to say that I have moments where everything is "instinctual", meaning that I don't have any swing thoughts or strategic thought. Simply, I've assessed the shot - visualized what I want to happen and step up and swing. In those moments it seems like everything happens automatically, there is no doubt or distractions, only execution. The results are great but those moments only happen a few times per round. More often than not I have a goal in mind that I've visualized and attempt to execute but have a single swing thought in my head (short backswing, follow-thru, 80% swing, etc.). Sometimes the results are good, sometimes not but it doesn't feel "instinctual". I don't think one is better than the other but certainly wish I had more of those great "instinctual" moments. My guess is that the more skill you develop the more of those moments you're likely to have on the course.

I grew up near Beaumont but currently live in Omaha. I had a friend (Clint Martin) that used to (may still) be the head pro over at Bayou Den. I'd call Bayou Den, Babe Zaharias and even the Pea Patch to see if they have any leagues available that meet your criteria. As a high handicapper you may want to start out over at the Pea Patch as it's fairly short, few hazards and pretty wide open. Although, the last time I was in town it looked like it needed some TLC. Hope that helps!

I currently never wear a glove for any shots but when I first started I wore one all the time (putting included). Truthfully, I can't tell a difference in "feel" or my performance. I stopped wearing one because of the amount of sweat trapped inside the glove and the seams on the fingers of the glove became irritating.

^^ Seriously, though it really is an epidemic.

Scrambles - "If you ain't cheatin' you ain't trying"

Maybe its looking at the "glass half full" mentality. As much as these platitudes may get on your nerves I can say that playing with someone who rants/raves/throws clubs, etc. because in reality they are a high handicapper and in their mind they are Tiger Woods is equally as irritating. I have a buddy (6'5" / 280lbs) that is a high handicapper and has huge meltdowns on the course - to the point folks won't talk to him or make eye contact. I've seen him break a rented pull-cart in half because he hit into the same water hazard twice (funny as hell). I enjoy golfing with him but I'd prefer a few more "at least (insert half full comment here)...." than the hulk he turns into at times.

I don't keep an official handicap and don't even estimate one here. Mostly, because I play golf socially. It's an excuse for me to get outside and enjoy the scenery and hopefully some good conversation. It's a way to decompress from the other stresses of life. I definitely practice and try to get better but in the end it doesn't really matter. I mean I'm not trying to feed my family based on my golfing ability (thank god!). I do play in a league and have the handicap they've tracked for me (17) but I don't really put a lot of stock into it. As for the competitive discussion above I tend to agree with Slice of Life. I ran track/cross country in college and was good enough to be there but not good enough to ever compete for any titles. Obviously, they don't give you a head-start because you're not as athletically gifted as your competitor. If you beat someone, it's because you were better that day. I feel the same way Slice does, that if I'd beat someone I gave a head start to I wouldn't feel good about it; and I wouldn't have enjoyed a win where I was given a head-start. It's not that it wasn't a fair competition but that the measuring stick was skewed. The handicap system is a good tool for creating a more even playing field but for me - head-to-head, who is better is more exciting. The thing about golf thats different than other sports is that it is completely skill based, meaning you can't have more (intensity/heart) than the other guy to gut out a win. At least that's my humble opinion.

Bill Brasky was a ten-foot tall beast man, who showered in vodka, and fed his baby shrimp scampi.

Sounds like this guy I golfed with once. His name was Bill Brasky. He'd shoot whisky into his neck with a syringe, give a primal scream and proceed to drive the ball 400+ before dropping a tab of LSD and soiling himself. Unfortunately, he had a four day heart attack, one day for each chamber. Sure miss ole Brasky.

Know-it-all vs Geritol Challenge Tom Morris Classic (Old vs Young) MPH vs BPH Tournament

Shot a 47 last night in league. Two penalty strokes (one driver OB trying to cut the corner on a dogleg and one water hazard on a par 3). Several stubbed pitch shots and a three putt rounded out the evening. Oh well, there's always next week.

I don't keep an official handicap but I'd guess that I'm in the 18 - 22 range. During a round I flush 3 or 4 drives that get out to 270+ according to the GPS on my phone but I'd say I average around 230 - 240. My FIR are decent and when I miss it's usually not "in the woods" or OB but within 10 yards of the fairway. My perception of why I don't play better is as follows: - Poor pitching / chipping (regularly stub several of these a round - I think I decelerate on less than full swings) - Poor putting (usually two putt with a few three putts but rarely one putt during a round) - Poor GIR (I make solid contact with my irons but usually miss short 20% / long 50% / left 20% / right 10%) I've been working on my short game and have improved but still have a long way to go.

I see lots of people in league that shoot scores in a manner similar to yours. I'm fairly consistent in that I'll make mostly bogies with a few pars sprinkled in and a few doubles but I don't often have the big number. And, I agree that as a steady player I don't feel like I have that ability to go out and score way under my average but I usually don't shoot much over it. I didn't know if that meant I'd never get much better or that I'd just improve slowly. Thought it might point to potential but maybe it just has to do with aggressive vs conservative play.

To me, that seems pretty steady and I'm sure the deviation for lower handicap players is much less. That being said though, even on the touring level you have guys like Phil who IMHO seem to be erratic but still shoot great golf vs someone like, I don't know... maybe, Webb Simpson who is more of a consistent scorer type. Maybe, all it indicates is how aggressive a style they play vs their ability to scramble?