GonnaBreak70

UPDATE: I read the replies to my OP and before going out to play today, I decided to hit nothing but a small cut. I normally hit draw off tee, cut into greens and I believe this causes inconsistency for me at least. On the range it felt great. Really fantastic! I was hitting it much, much better than I have in a while and was also hitting it higher. (I struggle with a low ball driver) End of story I shot 75 and actually TOLD my brother before I teed off that I was feeling like I'd score a 75 today. LESSON LEARNED. I think I will never resist my natural ball flight again. A high little cut. I still have the draw in the bag when necessary, but it simply doesn't work well enough to play it as my primary shot type. Thanks again to the guys who suggested playing my cut. One more question though... Why do people (me) feel it necessary to change something when they perform there best. In my case I shot par and decided I needed a better swing, but I often here about players who play well then change swing. Like Martin Kaymer who won a major, got to #1 then changed swing. Why? Why is that the automatic instinct when we do well???

My swing [VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEpwxOIF_lI&feature;=youtube_gdata_player[/VIDEO]

God! I just want to roll over right now. I started playing a little more than 2 years ago and loved the challenge when I started. I've posted a few threads on this site talking about my progress and how well my game was advancing. Now I'm lost and kinda hate to play. (when playing poorly) I started off playing a lot, practicing a lot, and took a few lessons. I was able to get down to a single digit handicap in about a year, and shot par in a little less than 2 years. From there though, things quickly ground to a halt and now I'm going backwards. (even typing that pisses my off so bad) After shooting my 72, I decided to change my ball flight from fade to draw and haven't come close to par since. My swing can be so hit or miss, so random and inconsistent that you might see me on the range one day and think -that's a scratch or better player- the very next day I'll look like a 20 handicap. My last 4 rounds have been in the 80's including an 87. I know to some people that's low, others its high but the point is I'm not having fun. For comparison I recently shot a 75 in a tourney and a 33 for 9 holes. In all fairness I think the main reason for my inconsistency is a huge left lateral hip move I have on the downswing. It requires perfect timing and when I'm off, I'm embarrassing, I am currently a 5 handicap but I FEEL like I should be scratch. Yeah right. Today for example I shot an 82 from 6200 yards and hit a huge hook off the tee all day. Sorry for the rant. I guess what I'm looking for is a way out of this rut. Its frustrating, embarrassing, and no fun at all. Suggestions from someone who has been where I've been would be appreciated. PLEASE Note: I will post a few videos of my swing soon

I think you greatly missread, or misunderstood my last post. Firstly, I don't just lift weights with my arms. My routine is very diverse and encompasses my whole body. I lift heavy, and eat big. Monday-Chest Core Tuesday-Shoulders Back Wednesday-Rest Thursday-Arms Core Friday-Legs Saturday-Light Cardio Sunday-Light Cardio Secondly, why on earth would I stay away from lifting??????? Lifting has already produced desirable results in my game and also I might add, my life. I used to be that wirey 130 pound kid, now I have controlled strength, stamina, endurance, stability, etc. On a side note, why do so many people consider lifting weights a bad thing? If you have specific goals, and a bit of intelligence, weightlifting can be the best thing that's ever happened to you.

I must respectfully disagree. I seriously began lifting weights about 1 1/2 years ago, and have since put on 23 pounds of muscle, and lowered my handicap by about two and half strokes. I went from 132 to 161 pounds, and I now have much more strength and consistency when hitting the driver or long irons etc. Granted, I also completely changed my diet, and do core exercises twice a week in addition to swimming and running, but that added strength and weight were definitely the biggest factors in lowering my handicap. Surprisingly though, I don't actually hit the ball much further, but I do hit it much more consistently. I used to be a windup doll with the driver, but now for the most part I know I'm going to find it again.

Yep. I heard it too. Then a few minutes later, that guy with the annoying voice apologized.

I simply cannot understand why anyone would watch this rendition of Big Break! Now just to clarify. I'm 19yo and appreciate a sexy girl as much as the next guy but at some point, how sexy (read sl*ty) they are can't cover the fact that this show had some major flaws. #1 They suck at golf. I didn't watch much, but what I saw was laughable as far a skill was concerned. Essentially wedge play. #2 sit sit Sit SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT... (nuff said) #3 They werent THAT attractive. Seriously, just because a girl is young and is wearing booty shorts and a tight tank-top, doesn't make her hot. Most of them were rather plump as well. #4 Confusing. I don't even know where to start here. I'm sure if I had watched ALL the episodes and paid close attention, I might have been able to discern what the helk was going on, but I didn't and I don't, so "what just happened?" #5 BORING More than 5 minutes of this show and I began bleeding from my eyes.

I used to get STUPID mad. Several broken clubs and a few guys telling me to cool off. Then my dad and I went on a golf vacation and I lost it once because I was playing poorly and they had left the sprinklers on at the next tee and we had to wait. That evening I was sooo embarrassed that I swore never to blow up like that again. Ive grown up quite a bit since. I even had a guy at my last tournament mention that he took my example on the first hole after we both started poorly. He said if you could brush it off like that than I could as well. The game is no fun when your playing mad.

Why are most people so negative about there games? I'm alway hearing people make jokes about how little chance they have of doing this, or how bad they are at that. Like the guy on the tee that says, "I haven't hit this green in two years" or, "this hole always gets me" My opinion is that most peoples golf games are restricted by fear and lack of confidence. Even if your golf game isn't the best, surely constantly reminding yourself of it will have a negative effect.

I will actually going to be playing a number of FSGA tournaments this year here in Florida, so to prepare, I will be playing from the back tees to make the practice harder than tournament conditions. Because of that, it will probably be a while before I break 70.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't read that properly.

I'm not sure I understand??

I worked mostly on full swing and course management with the pro. My biggest leaps forward were when I was finally control my swing by shortening my backswing and taking more club. This resulted in more consistent results but this is much more difficult to do than you might think. I have felt like I was on the verge of a fantastic round but I was playing blades, (Mizuno MP63) with x-stiff shafts and I had a lot of trouble hitting solid long irons. Last two rounds I decided to take my brothers Callaway X24 irons for a spin and wow! So forgiving and accurate. I feel like I can do no wrong with these clubs. I know they are GI irons but you know what, I don't care. THEY WORK.

Thank you all for the comments thus far. It's great to have a place this to come to to browse interesting topics, stories, and to get feedback as well. To Buckeye Nut I am currently 19yo.

I'll not pretend that I saw the old greats play as much as I have seen Tiger play, But from what I have seen, there is NO comparison. Tiger Woods is the most exciting golfer the game has ever seen by a Bubba drive.

Some of you may remember me from my post a while ago about breaking 80 in a short amount of time after starting golf. Well, the logical next step was of course, par of better. Today I played LPGA International Champions Course (6700 yards) and shot a 72 7 birdies, 5 bogeys, and 1 double to post an even par round of golf for the first time ever! It was an up and down day and quite honestly, year as well. I played my first ever round of golf August, 2010 and was hooked from the word go. Since then I have work my butt off spending COUNTLESS hours hitting pitches, chips, putts, fades, draws, and I'm not gonna lie, quite a few slices.The truth though, is that I have loved every minute of it. I love putting my ear buds in, dropping 3 balls on the green, and hitting putts till they ask me to leave. I love walking to the range with another large bucket just to see if I can master the stinger 3 wood, the knockdown wedge or the ever-elusive high draw with my driver. Numerous times I've hits ball till dark without even noticing the time pass. I've worked on several occasions with my local pro and I can say that I would not have progressed nearly as quickly as I have without his instruction. What made it all worth it was sinking the left-to-right 15 foot birdie putt on the last to match old Mr Par. For everyone out there working hard to beat the course, keep working, its so worth it.

Hi folks. I am looking for a basic replacement shaft for a Scotty Cameron Sante Fe TE I3 putter. Scotty wants way to much to replace it, and I think any quality shaft will work just as well. The old shaft looks basic accept where it connects to the head where it widens to accommodate the the tapered post. Thank you for any information you can provide on finding a good replacement. Michael

Update: I have developed several exercises in including a weight lifting routine, sprinting for mass and to raise HGH levels, and I have also signed back up for jiu-jitsu and they are working on adding a Cross-Fit routine to there shedule which I plan on participating in. I have also completely changed the way I eat to better suit a weight gain lifestyle. 3500 calories a day. I have gained 10 pounds and weigh 150. I have also greatly increased my flexibility. My long term goal is 170 pounds and the firefighter build:) The affects to my golf game include suprisingly, a better wedge game! I have much better control with all my irons but especially my wedges and scoring irons. It's seems much easier to stiff a wedge than before. Possibly due to more forearm strength and better lower body stability. I haven't played much, but I hope to see my handicap lower soon.

All good replies so far. I like the reverse/anti handicap idea to use in conjunction with my real handicap to determine consistency. So far it appears that everyone would consider it a really bad day if you were to shoot 7-10 above your handicap. On the other hand no one seems to shoot much worse than that on a bad day. Which means that the worst score for a given handicap, is about 10-12 over the handicap.

I'm a 5.9 handicap and the last 5-6 rounds have been great. (Excluding the last 2) I shot 79-78-76-79-79 and I almost thought I was immune to bad rounds. THEN! Two days in a row I shoot 88-88. Thats 9 shots over what I consider a reasonably good score. I'm just wondering what is the worst score you guys can shoot for a given handicap without including illness, injury, etc. Michael

Hi, I'm 18 years old, 5'10'' and 140 pounds. I decided that with some of my free time I'm going to put on some weight and bulk up. (About 10-15 pounds.) I'm already in great shape and very flexible, I've done Gymnastics, Jiu-Jitsu, Ballet:( I feel that by weighing more and being stronger, Ill have more distance and control over the ball. The question is what type of workout would most benefit me and help me reach my weight goals? And what type of build is the all around best for playing golf?

I personally do not fully understand how to the handicap system works. I set my Golfshot App to automatically calculate my handicap and then I enter valid legal scores into the app. If the results are questionable, it certainly is not because I have intentionally put incorrect information in my scores. I actually broke 80 a while ago 4/12/11 when I was a 14.6 but it was not official because the course was so short (5900)

My previous best round was a 76 and while I'm not gonna play it down, one of the main reasons for shooting 73 was... #1 Holing out for eagle #2 2-3 long putts for birdie #3 A lot of great saves #4 Playing from less than the blues (Playing with someone who played the whites) So playing well along with some great luck I was able to achieve this impossible score. As for my handicap I was 11 when I broke 80 and have played well since which is why my handicap has decreased at such a high rate. Here's my Golfshot account. Take a look. http://golfshot.com/Rounds

I use GolfShot app on my iPhone to keep my handicap. I'm not sure if it's doing something funky. I also play by the rules. The first few months I didn't then I decided to just learn the rules and find out how good I really was.