johnwayne

4 times a week 18-36 holes all 4 days. Weather permitting year round.

Got a weird one for a reason not to begin golf. Took a lesson in Palm Springs CA at a driving range, the grip they tried to start me out with (not sure if it was an interlocking or a Varden) . It didnt feel right, playing sports and growing up on a farm I knew how to hold a stick, and that wasnt the correct way, fast forward to living here in Santa Fe and needing a hobby in the summer time and I found Jay Golden online at You Tube and low and behold a baseball grip was okay to use went out wacked the crap out of a bunch of balls and have been hooked ever since. Went out and played today yes in the intermittent snow and cold. Love this game. Side note have since changed grip from baseball to Interlocking to Varden. Maybe instructors should look at that more, just my 2 cents.

I usually play better with either no warm up or an extended warm up of around 70 to 100 balls, with about 20 to 30 being used for the driver. . If I just hit a say 10-20 with maybe 5 for driver it never seems to work out. Best warm up in my opinion is chipping putting and some short pitches seems like I have a better feel for the green that way.

25 Handicap, Started playing last year. Had my first on the last round of the year. Par 5 13th hole at Marty Sanchez. Great tee shot past the cart path on the left side flyer lie on the long grass. 5 iron onto the green, staring at a 20 foot putt, was able to see the line and just stroked it. One of the best feelings I've had on a golf course, was trying hard to break 90 for the first time. Added up the card after the 18th...............Shot 90 exactly, bittersweet to say the least. Had a great day... This is the best game ever.

OK I'm the last person to give advice to someone who is playing as well as you are. I'm a 27 handicap. But gonna give it a try, it helped me in my short game some. 1. Read and practiced Pelz's book. 2. Played an Executive course from the womens tees alot. Made sense in that most of these shots are from 100 yards and in, gave me a lot of time to work on these shots. 3. After reading and practicing Pelz's formula worked on just feeling the distance and swung to the distance. If none of the above are feasible, play a practice round of golf on a weekday afternoon and forget about the driver and irons and just walk or drive up and play from 100 yards and closer. Hope this helps and again I know I'm the last person to give advice to someone playing as well as you. Remember the only thought over these short game shots is execution, nothing else.

Ok slight problem here. I have broken 2 Driver shafts 1 Nike VRS shaft and 1 Ping G 20 shaft. both snapped about 3 inch's above the hosel. Nike was a Stiff flex Ping was a regular flex. I didnt hit the ground with them or store them improperly. I hit the ball about 225 to 250 average. I've only been playing about 6 months so there are mishits off center. Any suggestions or ideas as to why this is occuring?

Range for 1 month with lessons to refine actually hitting the ball then par-3 course for 1 month then on to the big course. 1 month is as close as I can remember. Used cheap balls on both, Sports Authority Tommy Amour Silver Scott's 48 for 24 dollars. Man I've lost a lot of those balls. Playing a par 3 in the afternoon on a weekday at my home course is like having your own private golf course. Getting off the range and on the course really let's you see where your game is and what you need to work on at the range.

Not for the scoring.....but we tried an exercise yesterday of playing from the women's tee on a par 3 no traffic, we were the only ones on the course, played 9 with my friend teaching his girlfriend. Had a blast and we had great practice for the big course, hit your wedge then putt. We all had a great round afterwards.

Thanks for sharing very similar to my first round (I think mine may have been worse) . Like the man said just swing easy good things will happen. Keep playing and remember to have a good time.

Lots of them still do at times just cant help myself. Still stand by what I said, Sorry for the last sentence, had been up for over 24 hours worked the overnight shift at the hospital then played from the time I got off till 7pm. Driving 300 yards for someone young ie one of my playing partners is 22 and he can do it regularly. I've had a couple over the short months I've been playing. Thanks for telling me about the stove I'm out of the kitchen.

Hey guys with the new drivers of today driving 300 yards can be done by almost anyone with the muscle or swing to do so. Doing so and having it playable is a different story. I have done so inconsistently but I play in Santa Fe 7000 feet in elevation with good wind at times. Driving 300 is not a big deal anymore. it can be done and done routinely. Wanna impress me play a par 3 course for birdie golf from all the tee's women's and men's. All of them then your talking.

One nice thing about being a high handicap golfer is when you look for yours you find others. Currently at about 3-4 dozen of slightly used all makes and models. Hitting Sirixon Q Stars yellow love them things hate losing them though it happens often.

3-4 months into playing. (Started at 47 years old) on a par 3 course in New Mexico Marty Sanchez, greatest feeling ever, made a couple today. Brings up another question what tees were you playing?

Okay guys rule # 1 have fun damn it the game is fun. If you can have a good time with your wife or girl friend then by all means enjoy. Teaching someone the basics can be simple first rule hit the ball move it forward. Getting someone involved is the first step hard stuff can come later. Chill with the lessons just let someone enjoy the together time then if they want to get better you can "invest" in more expensive options. Bull Durham " This game is fun damn it, lets have some fun".

Shot a 96 first time to break 100 ever did it at the Santa Fe country club. yaa hoo. Also didnt lose a single ball all day and hit my driver playable on every hole.

Congratulations, I know how stoked you are about that seriously man that's awesome. I just broke 100 today for the first time, its a great feeling. Enjoy.

101 getting close to breaking that mark.

Hey I can relate about the slice got one myself and have a lesson scheduled for friday to attempt to straighten that bad boy out. Good luck and enjoy the new clubs.

Update played Buffalo Thunder Towa golf course yesterday Boulder 9 and Valley 9, WOW what a great day beautiful scenery and what a great course, Valley 9 has the only island green in New Mexico if the claim is right. That was such a cool experience, the other great hole plays from the top of a mesa with a great view and the last hole is more or less a desert island with an elevated tee box over 2 arroyo's onto a green, gotta love a state that can give you that. Hit the 3 wood well from the deck, me and my driver made up hit some good tee shots and some bad all in all a great day with great friends.

Hit the 3 wood well yesterday who knows how it goes today, hit from the deck and from the tee and hit fairways with it, or at least not the desert.

Just to follow up bought my 3 wood yesterday, promptly had a fight with my driver, it decided to slice the ball right on every tee, hit the 3 wood from the deck and from the tee enjoyed tee shots again. Lob wedge came in earlier this week had a chance to hit it with good results. Sand wedge is okay, hard to hit a sand wedge when the sand traps are like concrete. FYI Callaway X-12 irons, Nike VRS Driver 3 wood and 21 degree Hybrid and Method Putter.

Thanks all of you, so much great information. I do have a sand wedge as well as a lob wedge they are both Callaway x 12's. Just got the Lob wedge this week and the Sand wedge last week still learning their characteristics. Going to look at buying a 3 wood this week to close that distance, as noted in the advice. I wonder if I should get the Nike or try something different?

How's it going with the new clubs?

No one is saying swing out of your shoes. That is just stupid. Most people know that overswinging doesn't add distance. People are saying hit the ball far is a big plus. Here is where 50 yards off the tee makes a difference. Par 4 -400 yards. You hit it 250 leaving a 150 yard approach shot. Hitting the green is reasonable. If you lose 50 yards (maybe you tee off with a 3 hybrid) you are left with 200 yards to the green. Hitting the green from 200 yards is heck of a lot tougher especially if your a player that needs to pull a 3 hybrid to do it. On Par 5s you can often give up distance. As you say a high handicapper probably shouldn't try a fairway wood or hybrid. Get the ball 200 off the tee and then 2 150 yard shots might be the better play than trying to get 230 then 150 and 120. Sure your will be a lot more accurate from 120 than 150 (something around 10-15 ft) but it might not be worth the risk of OOB or some bad shot. Yeah kind of the same idea that I came too after that experiment. Also hurt my L posterior rib conducting said experiment. PS just started playing golf 4 months ago still learning and trying new things. Got to love it though when you hit that excellent shot that ends up an extra 20-30 yards down range. Thinking of buying a 3 wood for that second shot. Any suggestions? Own the Nike VRS Driver and a 21 degree Hybrid but no Fairway woods yet. Driver 250 and the Hybrid at 195.