permarkc

Before keeping a legit handicap, I would take the occasional foot wedge or mulligan. But as my wife is my caddie, as I became consistently in the 80's, she cut out all the "liberties" I took with the ball. My scores went breifly back to the 90's, but seemingly very rapidly came back to the 80's and below. I think because I knew she wouldnt allow any infractions, I played better. So, in my opinion, if your strictly out to have fun, play your game any way you want. Throw the damn thing out of a sand trap if you want, but once you start keeping a handicap and a true record of your golf ability, you must play by the rules. Otherwise, it just fantasy.... And with that said, a true 5.4 handicap sometimes really does suck, as I still have the occasional high 80's round....but senility comes from the knowledge that if you shot a perfect round every time out, they would call you Tiger, or Rory, or Phil, or Bubba, or............And I've seen all of them hit in the mid to high 80's......

250 on a 5 wood!..wow

Only got to hit 9 this am as a tournament started at 8:00....Shot 37 on a par 35...figures I couldnt hit the back 9......

I do know I exagerate the inside out or the outside in, as well as the open or closed stance, but the club face, for me anyway, still has to be directly facing the target at address. Now, what happens to the face during my swing is another issue altogether and without a good high speed camera, and being able to slow it frame by frame, I havent got a clue. I can, however, create a very large draw or fade, draw a little more than fade, and have actually made many shots to the greens from 130-170 out being directly behind trees that I had to go around. ( does that mean I am behind trees a lot?)......With the heat we been having I tell my wife I am playing to the shade........she actually caddies for me....seriously....It is almost priceless when a playing partner thinks I am screwed having to chip out to the fairway, and they see my ball fade or draw around the trees to the intended target....That is also not to say that occasionally I dont get the draw or fade and the ball ends up on the next tee box or waaaaay out in the woods....it happens...When it does all come together, I enjoy looking them right in the eye and saying, "This game is soooo easy!".....

Couple of tough rounds Sunday...83 & 86.....Nothing but my driver seemed to work for me.....Hit most of the fairways, very few of the greens..(by inches...or a few feet), missed way too many putts...nursing golfers elbow, but not making excuses...My game just wasnt what it is....Still managed to have a good time tho...even the the golf was bad...

Thank you sir, I can and do and dont have a clue why it works...fun to try and figure out tho.... now if it screws me up thinkin about it......naw....

Without any type of professional guidance but having got to the point of even thinking of hitting the ball other than attempted straight...when it came time for draw and fade, I made the correlation thru ping pong...I know...sounds stupid....but with a ping pong paddle facing the opponent, and a strong left to right swing, the resulting english brings the ball back...but the paddle still faces the opponent...if it were to be facing right of the opponent...it would not have a chance of coming back...I am sure the physics of a golf ball and a ping pong ball are completley different, but the logic seems to fit and it does work for me...I would hate the time and the process to change what works for me...and I truly believe the only real reason I am still a +5 is the _*&^$%$*(^&)_*(+(*&*&*^$@!# flatstick on the green!! but I am slowly sneaking up on that one too...... I am sure if I were to have my swing "analysed" and tried to change all thats "wrong" with it, I would be back in the double digits asap.....I have bad habits...but they are mine...and they work for me!! I know my swing, and I know the result...and I have a good time even when I hit poor rounds.... Thx, Poser...If you get to central Texas, holler...We'll hit a round....

Im not going to argue with you, I am no physics major by any means....I dont know why it works, I just know I have a lot of control to draw and fade a ball....and most of it comes ,for me anyways, from a closed stance, inside out swing for a draw, and an open stance, outside in swing for a fade....but I hit 2-300 balls a day and probably 50-60 are draws and fades... I did find that after a couple thousand balls and getting the draws and fades down, that hitting the ball straight has become much easier...I bounce around at 68 to 73% fairways...way up from about 55% a few months ago.... Maybe you can tell me this, I can draw and fade phenomenally with my 5,6,and7 iron.....the rest I really have to work at...I can do it, just not near the accuracy... After reading your post again (and mine) I wonder if I am subconciously opening and or closing the face with the inside out or outside in swing? Like I said, I dont know why it works, but I can duplicate pretty regularily..... Lanky.....Closing the face will make the ball curve....pretty sure a curve is what were after......we just want to control the curve....and we didnt get to ,tnf9,4.3, cupped tin,4.3, poser 1, by hitting the ball"directly out of play"... Key words here....practice, practice, practice..........

I am not sure I agree....or maybe just dont follow you. I am NOT saying your wrong as I feel everyones technique is there own, but,,,when I draw the ball with any club, I close my stance, leaving the face directly at the intended target, (closed), and swing inside out depending on how much draw I want. My inside out is what starts the ball right, and my closed club face is what puts the spin on to bring it back. I agree with the hitting the range to find what works. A freind of mine just moves his left foot forward or back, seems to swing exactly the same, and makes the ball do incredible things...I cannot ( after hours on the range), duplicate what he does. Picture the shot.......Believe the picture.....

I did not realise that. I appreciate the clarification. I did drop the ball aproximately in the same position, so I guess technically I charged myself a stroke that I shouldnt have. I have had a few guys roll a ball on the green on shorter par 4's, over 300 , and when they got to me, they apologised and I commended them on a terrific shot. One other time, 2 of us in a foursome hit a 314 yd par 4 and we both made the green. There was a 4 some on it putting. One guy stayed and chastised us for hitting into them, we were apologetic, and once he realised we had hit from the tee box, he also told us great shots... I almost always walk, and you would be amazed at how many people think a walker is going to slow a group. I play with 2 or 3 other guys that all ride and they very seldom wait for me.

I find a lot of etiquette lacking on public courses. My partner and I was playing behind a 3 some..they were slow....we deal with it...on the 9th hole, after taking a phone call and wasting about 10 minutes, we get to the tee box. They are chipping onto the green on a short par 4...322 yds. I figure all is good. I tee up and connect with one of my best drives ever...of course...ball rolls to within 10 yards of the green....One of them walks by and looks down....I didnt see him hit it, but when I got there, my ball is gone, I walk ahead and ask...where did my ball go? One of them gets real loud about not hitting into them...once again...they were chipping to the green, and it was 322 to the front edge...lazered...I asked again, wheres my ball and he says its out in the long rough, he hit it as he walked by. Now, at 300+, there is no way it would have ever hit them in the air. So, instead of an easy up and down for birdie, I take a drop (couldnt find my ball), chip on and 2 putt for bogey. Now Im not real concerned about the score as we were playing for fun, but the guy wouldnt leave it alone...Came up to me with a club in his hand....Now...Im not real big, but fairly well built...and unfortunately have no fear, ( personality flaw!), I reiterate that I hit the best drive ever, its over 300 to the green...he comes on like hes going to swing with the club, I take my glasses off, look him straight in the eye and tell him, You do not want to go there! very calmly...I think it scared him that I was sooo calm and not scared.....he backed off...I told the pro shop...they didnt care... There are buttheads everywhere...not just the golf course.....

Hit a 83 this am. Walked the home course. Went back this afternoon, hit an 81. Not the best day putting. 35 putts. This afternoon every par putt missed was withing 2 balls widths of the hole. I was not a happy camper, I just have to believe they will start falling more often. I had the chance to hit par, and my putter let me down....But, I had fun...Tired..

I had never considered it until about 3 months ago I was put with 3 young college players, one of whom has turned pro and is on his way thru the nationwide tour. We were playing the Bandit in McQueeney. Hole 15 is a long 560+ yd par 5. he hit his drive to just under 300. Well in front of the rest of us, btw. The other 3 of us hit 3 woods and we all got up the fairway and got within a decent approach wedge. I see him pull his driver out and thought, ????? He took his stance, hit the ball, it never got more than about 30 ft in the air, but it just kept boring thru the air and rolled just on the edge of the green. I was seriously impressed. He missed his eagle putt, but birdied the hole. In that round, he doubled bogeyd one hole, bogeyd another and still tied the course record ( for the third time) with a 63. Heres the thing, the next time I found myself about 270 off a green, I thought, what the heck. I know it can be done, Ive seen it. So......I tried it....Lets just say I wont be trying it again. I have no idea how he got the ball up.I saw his lie. It was a good lie in the fairway, but not overly "up". I'll stick to my 3 wood. btw...playing with those guys was a fantastically humbling experiance. I cant wait for him to make the PGA tho....because on number 4, slightly downhill par 4, he drove the edge of the green, (which btw had a 4some putting on it), the other 2 drove just short of the green. I hit the best drive I have ever hit, you know, that holy crap where did that come from type of drive, and drove my ball about 30 yds past his as it rolled thru the green ....with the 4 some still on it.. They were upset till they found out we were hitting from the championship tees. Then they were impressed. Sooooo, I did out drive him.....once....

The eyes have it!.. The driver must make contact with the ball on the upswing. Try setting up on the ball with the ball farther forward. If the ball is too far forward you will start hitting it left. When that happens, slowly move it back till you find the sweet spot. When I am hitting the driver right, I need to have about a third of the ball above the face of the driver. As far as your long irons, again, move the ball forward in your stance. Dont try to hit it so much on the downstroke. Yes the flight will be higher, yes you wont get as much backspin, yes the ball wont go quite as far, but all of that will come with time. I have found for me, that 90% of the time, when I hit a bad shot, its because my eyes left the ball at the last possible millisecond before contact. I also found that when I am hitting consistently fat, if I look in front of the ball instead of directly at it, it helps. By the same token, if I am topping balls, I look behind the ball. The smallest (ball width) change in your eyes will make a difference. The other big thing for me is breathing. If you are clear full of air versus completely empty of air, it changes your body position immensely. I dont think it matters if you are full or empty, but you have to be the same every time you swing to ever expect to get the same result. I personally exhale just before my backswing. This way my body is exactly the same when I start my swing. Of course all of this is just my opinion and may or may not help you. But I have found these things were beneficial for me. Good luck! One more thing! If you believe your going to top the ball, you will. If you believe your going to knock the white off it, you will....Golf in my opinion is 10-20% mechanical....The rest is mental......Picture the shot, believe the picture........

Thanks RC! I really dont have a problem reading greens. My distance control is quite good. It just seems like my ball skirts the edge waaaaaaaayyyyy too often. I have left more putts than I care to think about less than a ball width from the hole. I know the answer.......putting green, putting green putting green.....I was just hoping maybe you had some magic mojo for me...???please!!...lol I have tried dang near everything. When my putter is on, I am very satisfied and I hit in the low 70's. When its not,,,,,,well.....I dont like to talk about it!! I shot a 90 on The Rebublic (first time Ive played it and a very nice course, btw) in San Antonio yesterday......I hit 43 putts......pathetic....Heres the most frustrating part....I had one putt for eagle on a par 5, 3 putts at birdie, and 9 putts at par not counting the previous 4. I will say they were some tough greens, but cmon....43!! thats an all time record. not one Im proud of nor care to repeat or beat.... I 3 putted 7 holes....another all time record.... I know I need to forfeit some rounds and spend the time on the putting green, but I really like to play!! I probably answered my own question..... But I would really like some of the mojo!!??

Isnt it amazing the feeling you get when all the clubs in your bag show up at the same time!! Well done!!

Hello everybody. New to the site. I golfed for 2 years in high school. Did not play for about 30 years, Life and such got in the way. Picked up a club about two and a half years back and have gone stark raving crazy ever since. I turned my 10 acre field into a driving range( kind of an oxy moron, as its only 240 yds to the house), so I cant practice driver or 3 wood, but 5 wood and down I can and do hit somewhere between 100 and 300 balls every morning, spending between 40 minutes and an hour and a half. Works up quite a sweat here in central Texas. I golf 18 holes at different courses around here at least once during the week, and then walk 18 in the am at a local course and then 18 more that afternoon on Sundays. When I picked up a club 2 1/2 years ago, I was a 24 handicap...go figure....but I have worked my game down to a 5.6 according to GolfLogix(which I love btw), but have hit a brick wall with my putter. I can get tee to green with most, but my putter fails me. Your welcome to look at my profile on Golflogix for all my stats if you care to. When I hit low 70's its when my putter shows up and I hit around 26-28 putts. When I hit closer to 90, its when it doesnt and I hit 35-38 putts. I know I need to practice putting more, but a practice green is very expensive....trying to talk Mama (wife), into it, but no luck so far. I hope to pick up some practice tips that I havent thought of. I have had zero professional training or lessons. I am also real close to getting tru blades and getting them custom fit to me. The clubs I am using now are Taylormade R7 TP Irons, R7 Quad driver, R7 draw fairway 3 & 5. Ping putter. I have cut my shafts off and regripped and reshafted my woods, Irons have Rifle 6.5's. Woods have 90G extra stiff. Worked my way up to extra stiff from regular, stiff, to extra. I am even thinking about xxstiff. I will enjoy seeing any feedback and look forward to hearing from you's!