jrm1493

Played today and we were paired up with a guy who constantly gave my partner advice. My partner is very much a beginner, and this guy was constantly telling him what to do which I think really rattled him. He ended up shooting 136 which is terrible even for him - last time out he shot a 110 or something (his scores are very honest as we both try to stick to the rules very strictly). This guy is what I would call a bomber, he smashed the ball (300+ yard drives), but he was really wild with the driver, and his short game was not that good. He shot an 86 (which was probably really an 89 because I saw him hit at least 3 balls OB and drop by the margin of OB). His constant advice to my friend really got on both our nerves, I ended up playing pretty badly as well, shot a 96 which included 3 complete blow ups (2 quads and a triple). I just don't understand why people that really aren't all that good want to give so much advice (or really why anyone at all would give so much unsolicited advice). The funny thing was he never gave me a single piece of advice which I find strange. Another mild rant was that the round took about 5 hours, and we also started about 30 minutes late because of how backed up it was... its memorial day so I was expecting it to be slow, but it was pretty bad.

Driver and 3w have fuji shafts, quite happy with both. Worlds better than the stock Callaway shaft in my old driver, I hit that thing all over the place, alternating between a duck hook and block right (of course it was regular flex).

This article is complete trash. I'm an engineer who has worked in GPS-aided inertial navigation my whole career in both DOD and NASA spaceflight applications and this is the first I've ever heard of anything like this; new satellites are launched all the time and the system is very well monitored and updated. All branches of the federal government are very dependent on the GPS system, everything from the military to national weather service to NASA and the USGS. In fact the GPS system typically exceeds the "spec" values of accuracy and availability by an order of magnitude or more. This is the kind of bogus journalism that just irritates the crap out of me.

My equation is y = -0.0192x + 861.6. Mine plots total score (not including ESC) against date. I use ESC in the handicap calculation but when I plot stuff I want to see how I actually played. We don't have an off season here so I've just been using the same sheet since the first entry, which was 8/1/2007. I've played 59 times since then; would have like to have played more but just don't have the time. Good to hear that you wrote a Matlab script to do this - those skills will come in useful when you graduate and get a job - my first job I used it all the time doing inertial navigation stuff. If you are a Matlab guru there will always be work for you.

I noticed the same thing, I think what happens is I get mad that I played so bad and hit the range 2 or 3 times before I play again... so I guess I know how I got those good scores (practice a lot).

I keep a handicap using a spreadsheet and these are my last 20 rounds. Is this "normal" type consistency? I feel like I have some pretty wild swings in my scores. High to low is a 23 stroke difference, and they were only 2 rounds apart! My current index is 18.1. I won't bore yall with the course ratings but average is probably a 70.5/122 or something like that. 104 93 94 102 88 94 100 92 98 104 91 91 98 106 89 83 100 97 95 91 I also chart the data and it shows a steady improvement over the last 1.5 years that I have data for, from an average score of 105 to a 93, using a linear fit. I feel like I'm getting better and I think that is good progress in 18 months. But there is so much "noise" in the data and I just am wondering if that is pretty normal for other folks around my handicap level. And, yes, I am an engineer.

I recently had a similar dilemma, but for me it was going from a regular to a stiff shaft. My SS is around 95 average, and I was also prone to the "duck hook". The stiff shaft has definitely helped, although I am still fully capable of hitting a snapper with the new driver, but they are not quite as violent. I am working on hitting a nice fade which I find is much easier to control but with a loss of distance. I could hit a draw out there maybe 250-260 but when 1/4 was a 140 yard snap hook into the trees or worse its just not worth it. First two times out with the new driver I shot 89 and 83, which was (and still is) my personal best.

I you have a game improvement set it is pretty much a necessity, because your PW is probably around 45 deg and most sand wedges are 56. I have a gap wedge but no lob wedge... at my current skill level I think I would be worse off trying to get cute with a lob wedge than just hitting my sand wedge. I like to just hit the sand wedge anytime I'm inside around 80 yards, I think it helps my consistency and muscle memory by only using one club for touch shots.

I don't know but I was in golfsmith the other day and usually their launch monitor is pretty consistent for me (92-98 mph ss) but one time I hit a pop up and the monitor reported a 183mph swing speed and a 385 yard carry.... so take anything those machines tell you with a 55 gallon drum of salt.

Just wanted to let yall know that I ordered a dozen 2008 pro-v1's and a dozen TP Blacks, in AAAA condition. $45 total w/shipping and tax for the 24 balls, and got them a couple days after ordering. Balls are in very good shape, the Pro-V's look lightly used but no scuffs or anything, just faded printing on a few of them and a couple logos. The TP Blacks look basically new. Very good experience overall if anyone is thinking of giving them a try.

Native and current Texan, but I've also lived in Japan, France, England, Singapore and Florida (dad was in petrochemicals growing up). Ancestry is 75% Scots (50% Scot, 25% Ulster Scot) and 25% German.

I can't imagine playing with range balls, you'd have to be a pretty big redneck to do that. I'm not that good of a player but even Top Flite D2's at about $1 a ball feel infinitely better than range balls.

I think I score better walking than riding... let me look at my spreadsheet for recent rounds: 100 - walking 83 - riding 89 - walking 106 - riding 98 - walking 91 - walking 91 - walking 104 - riding after that i can't really remember if i walked or rode... so by best round was riding but average probably favors walking. And to the guy that said he loved walking in the heat - i'm the same way. I love hot weather (92 and humid is perfect), you just have to drink constantly. Can't stand it when its cooler than around 75.

Just went to the range and pounded about 100 balls... much better results. I really concentrated on my setup and on trying to swing smoothly and let the club do the work. Seems to have helped. After I was warm I hit only 2 or 3 bad chunks. I would say 90% of my shots were at least "fair" (i.e. not out of play or complete mishits). Also really chipped and pitched the ball well after watching those videos. Now I'm tired... probably hit 150 full swings and 60 pitches/chips today....

One time I hit it 310 (gps verified), that was with roll and about a 25mph tailwind... all the stars aligned and it was just a freak occurrence, so it is possible. I typically hit it about 230-240 and I outdrive most of the 15-30 handicappers I play with. One guy I play with is around a 25 and hits it a bit farther than me, but he has a poor short game. He usually gets about 1 a round in the 300 range, with lots of OB and such thrown in as well. I think that is where the 300 yard stories come from - one time the stars aligned and they got it out there and from now on they are 300 yard drivers.

Last 3 rounds have been like this: 89: great ball striking, driving, bad putting 83: good driving & ball striking, good putting (easy course - 70.5 118). After these 2 I really thought I maybe had reached a new level in my game, but then last week I shot: 100: 46/54... lost it all starting on #9 (triple) - 4 drives OB in the last 10 holes, chunky short irons/wedges, bad putting, everything... Since that 100 last Wednesday I am hitting my wedges and short/mid irons fat about 40% of the time (been to the range 2x since). The other 60% of the shots are great. I think it has to be something with my setup - I just don't feel comfortable and my swing feels off. Any ideas or is this just something I have to work through?

yep... i woke up this morning and looked at the leaderboard (didn't check it after about 2pm yesterday) and got nervous, but now he is 10 back, so no chance

because I didn't fill out the golfsmith form

Texas; it has what FL and CA have as far as golf and jobs but with cost of living as cheap as or cheaper than Iowa. It is very hot in the summer but you get used to it (lived here most of my life); I've been to Iowa and it can get hot there too, in Texas it is just every day May-Oct.

There are so many variables, and so many that do not play by the rules that it is hard to say. My 19 is an honest 19 I except for the occasional (maybe once every 5 rounds) where I drop at the boundary of OB for pace of play reasons and treat it as a lateral hazard (If I know it was OB I'll Rehit but sometimes you don't know). So many people improve lies, don't count penalties correctly, don't putt out, etc... I would do it like this: Low breaks 80 regularly, Mid breaks 90 regularly and high is everyone else, although those that can honestly break 100 are much much better than a lot of the hacks you see, so they get some credit, maybe as a mid/high. There is so much variation, for example in the last year I have shot between an 83 and a 111. Now I did have the flu for the 111, but still, that is quite a range. Broke 90 6/29 rounds and shot over 100 13/29 rounds.

I think you just need to try some different drivers out at the same time (so variables are equal) at a range or launch monitor I used to have a regular shaft 10° driver now have a stiff 8.5° and I hit the 8.5 higher... I think it is because I'm able to move the ball further forward in my stance with the new club without worrying as much about hitting a big hook, which has effectively increased my loft (hitting more up on the ball). I used to hit a lot of low pull hooks with the old club. Given my old ball flight I thought I would get an 11 or 12 degree driver but when I tried some out I found out what I actually hit best was a low loft driver with a stiffer shaft. I have never had an issue with a slice like most high handicappers (except for the odd one every once in a while) so my swing might be a little unusual, but it just shows you how everyone is different.

My wife and I are going to the Houston Open on Friday... she asked if she could wear jeans (supposed to be cool and sunny). Does anyone know if that is ok for spectators? The website just says shirts and shoes are required, which seems kinda vague. I was just planning on wearing normal golf clothes (with tennis shoes).

When I was in 10th grade we lived near Reading, west of London. I was not much of a golfer then (didn't really get into it until about a 2 years ago at age 26) but we took a couple trips to Scotland and my dad and I played one of the other courses at St. Andrews (maybe a shorter one - mostly 3's and a few par 4's - my memory is hazy). My dad played the old course a couple times and I remember watching him tee off (I was nowhere near good enough to play it at the time). He said he was really nervous but I think he shot a 79 one of those times. Even back then I think I pretty much understood its significance, even though I wasn't all that in to golf. I WILL return some day and play all the famous and not-so-famous courses. I have Scottish heritage so I always feel a pull to the country and now to the game; there is something mystical about golf and Scotland to me.

Of course it is possible. I have no chance of going pro in a sport, but I do have a job that only a few hundred people in the world have and that they make movies about, so it is possible to accomplish your dreams. It takes luck and hard work; If he has been as successful as you say then he knows about both of those so he probably has the right stuff between the ears.

Ordered my irons and shoes through them - both came within a couple days. Only issue is that I live in TX so I had to pay sales tax.