1484

Stuck in a bad rut lately. I've been playing seriously for about 2.5 years and have been progressing I think at a reasonable pace from probably shooting 120+ in 2012 to breaking 100 in 2013 and, earlier this year, breaking 90. Pretty much playing golf whenever I'm able, taking periodic lessons, reading about the game, etc. etc. Standard OCD approach to a new challenge... Anyway, I've been in a pretty bad way for about the last month; almost completely unable to hit the driver and struggling with enjoying myself on the course. Frustration on the tee bleeding into the rest of my game and generally just in a funk. I think I just need a little mental/physical break from the game to clear some swing thoughts and come back to it fresh. I've read many posts advising people in the same position to take a break. Question for the group is how long have you found you needed to be away to get refreshed? I feel like I need to force myself to take at least a full week off without so much as touching a club and then maybe come back with some range and practice time for a bit before getting out and actually playing a round. I feel right now like I"m just trying too hard on every shot and trying to will myself to get better faster and - of course- the golf god's won't tolerate that kind of behavior. Curious to hear others' experiences with taking a step back in order to start going forward again.

Do you just have it cut down or does that screw up the flex points and other physics of the shaft such that to properly do it you have to buy a new shaft in the shorter length and attach that to your club face? I have a Callaway XHot2 that I got fitted for at PGA Superstore but am now taking lessons and pro says it's too long. It is a good 1.5" longer than my old driver and I find I tend to choke up on it anyway. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Sounds like you're lucky that guy didn't have a gun.

I can't play Pro v1 because I've ready so many freaking posts about them and who should hit them and who shouldn't, and spin rates and swing speeds that as soon as I tee one up I'm flooded with swing thoughts, get paralyzed and inevitably hook or slice it.

After a couple of 91's recently, I blasted through at last. Shot a 39 on the front and was so far ahead that even doubles on 17 and 18 couldn't stop me from an 86! It was drizzling when we started too which lead to the obligatory Carl Spackler quotes "I don't think the real heavy stuff is going to come down for a while yet.." etc. Sure enough we got to 6 and I was at even par for the round. Rain really started coming down and the wind picked up. We were waiting in the cart while one guy ran out to tee off and then got back under cover. On my turn I stuffed a 9 iron about 10 feet from the pin on a par 3 and immediately told my buddies that they had no choice but to go the full 18 no matter what happened with the weather. Made the "the good lord would never strike me down during the best round of my life" comments and pressed on. Luckily it cleared up a bit and I stayed unconcious the rest of the round. Hopefully it's the start of something and not just a fluke. I recall very clearly the same pattern with trying to break 100. Would get close and then blow up on the last 2 or 3 holes until I finally broke through with a 93. Broke 100 in 2012 in my first serious season, wanted to break 90 last year and never quite got there. Best round was 92. I know there are a ton of great golfers on this site for whom an 86 would be a crappy round but felt pretty good to me.

Six was just a train wreck. Yanked my drive left on the hillside by those traps on the left of the fairway. Got too excited on the second shot with a hybrid trying to get it all back in one swing and topped it twenty yards. Then hit the hybrid well to about a third of the way up the hill. Had a completely blind shot for the 4th on which I hit a 5 iron up and over the hill and landed about twenty yards left of the green. Chipped on and two putted for 7. Not my finest hour. Happily the only time I had one of those awful topped long iron shots which used to be a staple for me. The hill just intimidated the hell out of me and I over swung like a mad man on that second shot. On 8 I was in perfect position on the left edge by the car path and inside of the red stake. My second shot was a pure 4 straight at the pin but didn't quite get there, I landed about 5 feet off the green on the bottom edge and in a direct line to the pin. Had a really good lag put that ended up a foot to the right of the hole and made the par. The practice facility was really nice, hitting off of grass and lots of well marked pins with the distances to aim at. Buckets of nice balls to practice with. Two really nice greens where you could pitch up on to them and a third green just for putting and no chipping. They take you on a little shuttle from the pro shop to the practice facility and then drive you back for your tee time. All pretty slick. The only negative was that they had a good half the hitting stations reserved for the academy even though no one was in session and I guess a bunch of people playing the course that day wanted to get A LOT of practice in because we had to wait about ten minutes to get a spot and there was someone waiting on me while I warmed up which made me feel a little rushed. We were also there at prime time on a Saturday.

Played Pebble Beach for the first time this weekend. I have been fortunate enough to play Spyglass before and Spanish Bay twice but this was the first time at the Big Kahuna. I have seen some other threads debating the relative "value" or "worth" of the green fee so I'll skip that and just say that while, absurdly expensive by any measure, I value experiences above all else you can acquire with money, and I will forever remember the day. Speaking only for me (and everyone is entitled to their opinion!), it was absolutely worth it. As for the round, I can honestly say I've never been so amped up on the first tee. You're at Pebble, there are ten other people milling about in front of the pro shop and you're there with your foursome, the caddies and the starter all watching. I was the second to go in my group and hit one of the best shots of my life! If you're familiar with #1 at Pebble it's slight dog leg right. I dropped my drive in the middle of the fairway between the bunker that is straight out from the tee box and past the last of the trees on the right. The starter turns to everyone else and says - "Follow that ball; that's where you want it." Perfect for a second shot of about 120 into the green. Naturally I chunked the second about 40 yards as my heart rate was still pumping at 2X normal all the way through the first two holes. I won't bore you with all the details but I will say that going par, par, double bogey, par, par on 4-8 was the best 5 holes I've ever had in my life. On #7, I was the first to go and when the wedge shot went out straight at the pin with all that ocean surrounding the green and the rocks and the surf I seriously almost wet myself. Had a long lag put from the low end of the green up to the hole and a tap in for par. On #8, the caddie said to hit hybrid or 3 wood to about the left edge before where the chasm opens up. Two of us dropped our shots right where he told us to. The second shot was 185 to the green, across that massive chasm with the ocean on your right. I was so dialed into the shot I didn't even look up. Stroked a 4 iron to the bottom edge of the green and was able to two put for par. As we walked up to the green I noticed for the first time that we'd carried over the edge of that chasm and I'm CERTAIN that had I focused on that before the swing I would have never made the shot. No question the best par of my golf life. Anyway, ended up with a 45 on the front which - for me - was as good as it gets (haven't broken 90 yet). The back I kind of ran out of gas. I think the walking, the hot sun, the excitement, the getting up early, the tension of concentrating on these incredible holes and trying to take it all in kind of caught up with all of us as everyone had a worst back by a good margin. Nonetheless it was a great round and I was super happy to have played some of my best golf on such a big day. I have been incredibly fortunate to have played the other courses in the area and Torrey Pines South and some other really nice ones, but it really was something extra special to play Pebble. Thinking about Watson chipping in on 17 or Tiger shooting a three wood on 18 out over the ocean and bending it back to stuff it 12 feet from the green, etc. etc. while you're walking around was just amazing. I can't wait to watch a tournament there on TV now and be able to say "I got par on that hole". If you can swing it without hurting yourself financially and you get the opportunity, it's definitely a bucket list experience.

Been struggling with the driver for months. Multiple lessons, practice, etc. I got fitted for irons last summer (JPX 825) and have loved them but had an RBZ (first gen) driver and didn't think I needed a new one. After fighting the driver though for months while the rest of my game has slowly improved, I went and got fitted at PGA Superstore (The RBZ was a gift and not fitted for me). In any case, the RBZ had a stiff shaft and my swing speed hovers high 80's to low 90's so they put me into a Regular shaft on the Callaway. Long story short, I've only played two rounds with it but I haven't hit my old miss. I've been straighter and longer to the point that I have to re-assess certain holes on my home course (played tonight and hit two bunkers that are normally out of play for me and sailed one more drive out of bounds while aiming where I used to aim based on my hard fade/slice with the old driver. The ball just explodes off the club face and has that flight path where it seems to just keep climbing and accelerating through the flight. I've read a million posts on TST about getting fitted, the importance of the shaft, etc. etc. but I'm still just stunned by the starkness of the difference. I knew my swing wasn't all bad because I had virtually the same miss 95% of the time off the tee but I just couldn't get it to straighten out and my last 27 holes I've not had a single slicey/fade miss to the right. I'm actually missing left because I'm hitting so straight I need to re-adjust my targeting. I literally cannot wait to get out and hit it again. If I didn't store my clubs at my course I'd probably have it in bed with me tonight. I know 99% of this game is mental and just stepping up to the tee feeling like I'm going to crush it is a huge boost. I love this club. If I wasn't married already I would marry this club.

Agree with all of these. Will add how nice it is to play 2 some or 3 some whenever you want without being paired. That also factors into pace of play. I joined a country club because it was less than 5 minutes from my front door. The ability to leave my house at 6:45, play 18 and be home before 10 a.m. is priceless. The initiation fee + monthly/rounds played will NEVER pencil out but it's all about how much value you place on the convenience, access, relationships etc. etc. I also agree with other posters that while it still doesn't make pure financial sense, when you have multiple kids in the house also playing and then you add on the pool and the tennis and the other social events, it's a nice over all quality of life boost.

Whether they are cheap or expensive is up to you and your budget. I will say though that I've found it helpful to have a pair dedicated just for golf. I think golf is pretty hard on them. I get a lot of sunscreen on them and I'm also forever switching between having them on and putting them up on the brim of my hat when, for example, you move onto a shaded green and want to see the contour of the green better and that sort of thing. I keep my metal framed, more fashionable sunglasses in my car for driving and have plastic framed, more sports oriented ones in my golf bag.

I just went through the same thing. Broke 100 for first time in 2012, got really into it in 2013 and bought new clubs a few months ago. I read the reviews and forums and so forth and had some ideas about what to buy, but in the end I think there is only one way to do this: go someplace where you can try a bunch of clubs with a bunch of shafts and hit, hit, hit. I though I was going to get the Callaway X Hot or the Taylormades based on reviews but ultimately bought the Mizuno JPX 825. The launch monitor results didn't lie. Who cares what brand they are or what the reviews say if you hit them better than the others, then those are the ones to buy. As plenty of people on this forum with way way more experience than me can attest, it's pretty wild how much the shaft matters. I think trying different shafts was super key. I would just pick out 3 or 4 sets based on your target price range and just hit em with different shafts, and buy the ones that you hit the best. I love the Mizunos by the way. A pure iron shot with those babies is the best feeling I've ever had in sports and I've played them all. Damn, now I want to run out and play!

First eagle of my golf career today! 500 yard par 5. Crushed the drive 275 yards according to my Garmin S-1. Second shot I knew I couldn't make it to the green, so I layed up perfectly to one side of the fairway and about 60 yards out. Third shot was a 56 wedge. I could tell I'd hit it well and was wondering how good a chance I'd have at birdie. We walked up to the green and couldn't find the ball anywhere. I was just be-moaning having gotten a weird bounce when my partner decided to look in the cup and there it was! No ball mark either so I think it actually dove straight in!

Hey folks, I have been struggling with consistency on the driver. The good news is that I know what I'm doing wrong and generally have the same miss every time (varying degrees of smother hook, snap hook or just gentle hook). My problem is not firing the hips and just swinging with my arms. I'm getting really good results when I'm able to get the sequencing right but the hook always sneaks back in when I'm tired, not sufficiently loose, or just not paying enough attention. I would like to find some more drills that people have found helpful for clearing the hips. one that my pro gave me that worked really well is simple lining up way too close to the ball for practice swings. The only way to hit it is to get your hips aggressively out of the way. That has helped a lot but would appreciate other suggestions for this specific move. Especially things I can do indoors or without hitting a ball to try and groove the muscle memory. thanks in advance!

No worries guys, I was not offended. I normally play from the white tees because they are the right fit for my game at this point. I play from the kids/ladies/forward/old guys tees when I'm with my kids just because it doesn't feel worth the hassle of using two tee boxes when I'm already sensitive to pace of play when I'm with my kids. Having said that, I think one of the reasons I've been able to fall in love with golf after starting late (40) is that I don't have much ego invested. My first year I was always the worst guy in the foursome and at 18.9 I'm still mostly the worst guy in the foursome. I've never cared much about pulling a 7 when the other guy is pulling a 9. For what it's worth, the teaching pros at our club recommend occasionally playing from the forward tees just to get a different look at the course, practice different clubs, etc. In any case, for me an 82 was an amazing day from ANY tee. And, to hardballs point, I won't really feel that I met my goal of "breaking 90" until I do it from the whites at my home course, but I'm still going to savor this round. I am a little bummed though because as well as I was playing I think if we'd played the whites I would have had a damn good shot at being in the 80's even if it was 89! To D-Man's point, I do think clubbing down helped a lot on the par 3's. Normally those are 4 iron, 9 iron, 7 iron and 8 iron on my home course and from the forward tees it was 6 iron, 52 Wedge and "G" Wedge. On the par 4's and 5's I hit driver every time and did not club down. I think the difference was largely in the second shots. I had mostly 8 iron or less for my second shot on the par 4's and I'm generally much more confident with those clubs. Playing the same course from the whites there are at least 6 holes where the second shot is either 3W or 4 iron and those are still largely feast or famine clubs for me. I think the longest club I used in the 82 round was a 6-iron.

Friday I play 9 holes and can do NOTHING right. Admittedly I was pretty hung over from the office holiday party but it was so bad I even had the dreaded shanks. Shot 53 for 9 holes from my usual tees (the whites) which are 70.7/134. Today I go out with my kid and play from the forward tees with her (67.6/124) and absolutely played out of my mind. My goal for this year was to break 90. Best round all year was 92 from the whites and I shot 82 today from the forward tees. It was the mythical day when everything was cooking - hitting fairways, hitting greens and putting. Admittedly I had no birdies, but had about 5 legit opportunities and was getting a bunch of 2 footers and tap-ins for par. Is this what you guys single digit guys feel like every time you play? I can't believe I went from wanting to sell my membership and snap my clubs in two to the best round of my life in 36 hours. I hate this f$#2ing game. I can't wait to play tomorrow.

Not true. Next round will be shit because you'll over correct everything that was going wrong. After a day of hooking you'll over compensate and then start missing everything right or slicing. Your next NEXT round will be the best ever when you come back to center!

Works ok; a lot of 225-245 drives and at least once a round pure one that can go 260-275 (gps measured!) Biggest issue is snap hooking as the "miss" so wondering if shaft weight/club head weight might make a difference in keeping the arms from swinging around ahead of the hips.

So I recently got fitted for new irons and they have been awesome. At the time, I did not get a driver because I have a 2 year old RBZ driver that is still in perfectly good condition. I got it as a gift though and was not fitted for it nor have I ever done a driver fitting. Naturally I've got the bug in my head now that while it's surely the jockey and not the horse maybe a different shaft or better fitting weapon will be a game changer. I'm sure I'm just trying to justify buying more toys but curious how much people think the fitting process makes a difference in their performance with the Big Dog.

that picture is amazing. my home course is short but damn does it punish you if you are out of its narrow fairways. Even a gentle slice or hook usually requires some kind of sideways (or even backwards) second shot unless you roll the dice and try to hit through the trees/bushes/etc. Also lots of leaning and overhanging trees that force you to play one side of the fairway to have an angle to the green. I think I could pass myself off as a decent golfer at ATXPKR's track. Love it.

Very glad I played the new sticks. Had a couple of muffed shots here and there (I think all 3 with the 4 iron just getting used to the length versus the hybrid 4 in my old set), but overall it was a great round. I shot 93 which was 1 shot better than my course handicap and my second lowest round of the season. Shot of the day was a 277 yard drive (measured with GPS!), but the iron shot of the day with the new toys was a 164 yard 6 iron partially over water to hit a GIR. Can't wait to get out there again and keep dialing em in.

YES! Got home to the box waiting for me. I am absolutely playing these bad boys; can't wait. Will report back on results.

yeah, I think if they arrive, I'm playing 'em. Mizuno JPX 825's !!!

I am waiting for delivery of new irons this week - scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I'm also playing a round Friday at Spanish Bay (Monterey, CA) with a group of guys I haven't played with in a long time and am really hoping to play well (last time we played I was probably a 40 cap). If the irons arrive in time would you play them or would you wait until you've had a chance to play a few rounds and dial them in? I could see where jumping onto a challenging course with brand new irons fresh out of the box might be a disaster. On the other hand I can hardly stand to look at my old irons since hitting the new ones at the store... What would you do?

Like so many things in life, if you have the ask, then the answer is probably "no."

In this latest revision I have dropped to a 19.6. I know many on this blog would throw themselves off a bridge if they were a 19.6, but this is a huge accomplishment for me in my second full year of serious golf. Last year's goal was to break 100. This year's goals were to get the handicap into the teens, and to break 90. I still haven't broken 90 for a full 18 (have had several 44s for 9), but I am officially below 20. I also promised myself no new clubs until I was below 20. I can now start thinking about ditching my SSSGI shovels where even the 7 Iron looks like a hybrid from the top line view.