Moppy

I don't know. I was showing improvement, actually shot four pars and two bogies in nine holes earlier this summer, and I was getting fewer and fewer situations where I had no practiced shot in my bag to avoid real damage. But I went out about a month ago, and had regressed so much that I haven't played since. I suspect that the reason is that I played with a really bad player, and if you don't have your game really mastered, that can drag you down. You can just completely lose your focus. Not to mention that I have developed a hook just when I had kind of eased the slice off the stage, It is just extremely discouraging. So me, I am a bad golfer. Kind of a shame, because I used to walk 9 all the time, and I was walking 20 miles a week playing golf, and now the pounds are coming back, so I have to get back out there, but dang it's hard to face the pain of sucking so much after spending years working on my game as best I could.

You know what I am really sick of? The Golf Channel! Every twenty minutes they cross promote MSNBC and feature a 30 second spittle flecked vomit of Trump bashing from Joe and Mika of Morning Joe. I think they should call it "cross-demotion." I used to have it on always in the background as I worked. I liked looking up at the golf courses when my eyes needed a rest from the computer, and I like golf. But who needs it? I am not a big Trump supporter either, I just want to have a place where I can go where politics is not first on the menu. It's a shame. They are going to the way of ESPN without even knowing it. I am sure that the Golf Channel has no control over the stuff that their owners at NBC put on in the promotional slots, but that doesn't change anything.

Maybe it's because the course I mostly play needs the revenue, and if the leagues crowd on occasionally, that's fine, and they can help keep it open even though most of the times there are not that many players out there, with the exception of weekend mornings and holidays, which I avoid. I like that the course stays open and in good condition for me to golf with maybe two or three other groups on weeknights. I understand how you feel, and I am sure your circumstances are different. I kind of feel that way when I can't get a table in a restaurant full of tourists in the summer, when over the course of a year, I probably spend more in the place than the whole group of tourists is spending that night.

What helped me a lot was keeping my right knee (I am righty) inside of my right foot a little bit, sort of flexed it. This kind of locks my leg and resists swaying my body back in the swing and leads to more precise hits. Another thing was practicing chipping a lot, and positioning the club carefully, just behind the ball exactly where I wanted to strike it, before each swing. Focusing on hitting the ball an exact way for a controlled swing like chipping made a difference on other swings. Or at least, when my chipping practice goes well, my round tends to be better.

I guess I just consider it respect for the the course that benefits by the revenue and helps pay the freight for my use. But I am pretty sure that I am not the normal golfer on here.

We aren't allowed out when a league is playing, but your question reminded me of the bass tournaments around here, which I call "BassCar" because they buzz around the lake in fast boats, and for the first couple of years, they seemed to think that because they were in a tournament, they could overtake you from behind and stop in front of your boat because they had to get right on that GPS point, or sit in the middle of a traffic lane under the drawbridge, or whatever, but when enough locals complained, they created penalties for these kinds of things, like getting DQd or banned even, which fixed the problem. But I think it would be lousy etiquette on my part to interfere with a league on a golf course where they paid for the facility for a certain time. It's different than a lake owned by the people.

It took me two video lessons in two weeks, with trips to the range nearly every day in between, but I learned to hit it over about a month, well, at least at the same level as I hit my other clubs. I don't know about trying to fix it at the range with no guidance. But now I love stepping up to the tee box, and there are some situations where I can't use it anymore and have to club down to the three, which I never used to have to do. You are a way better golfer than me, I can only relate my own experiences.

I just feel like the grooves are kinda worn. They are hand-me-downs. I can afford both the game golf, and the new clubs, but I am thinking of going with the game golf first out of intellectual curiosity. I was hoping more people here had data.

What I am interested in is hard data that show that new clubs are worth it. Or, which do people think is worth more to a game, new clubs, or better data. I am leaning toward better data.

Has anybody here updated their clubs after having Game Golf going for long enough on their old clubs to have a valid comparison?

It's like the lumber at Home Depot. Now they have signs that say that while the label says "six inches" if you take out a ruler, its five and a half. I just got to where I sometimes exceed 200 yards, 180 carry, and maybe, once a summer, on a dry fairway with a lot of roll, I can hit it 250. But you feel funny admitting it when everybody hits it "240" minimum. But at the driving range, maybe there are five or six balls at that distance laying in the grass. My nephew played college hockey, and I have seen him put it on the apron from the tee on a 300 yd short par four. He played the short tees to accommodate me. He can't putt to save his life though.

Maybe the difference is knowing what you need to know to a high accuracy, or knowing everything to a lesser accuracy...

I am happy to see the range finder side pop up again. I just don't see what is wrong with them, and there is a lot right with them, including getting yardages at the driving range when the ropes are moved often, but the yardage markers are never moved. I don't believe they add time to a round unless you get into the old "more than two shakes, and you're playing with it!" territory.

Well then I take it back, and the next time I play with that guy who uses his @#$& phone to do distances, I will let him know there are better options. I still like my range finder, and I don't think it costs me time in a round. I don't use it a lot though, mostly from within about 115 where it works pretty well and pretty fast.

I like watching women's golf from time to time. I don't recall ever seeing the lightening fast greens you sometimes see on the men's tour. The hardwood floor type speeds. I am assuming this is because they do not wish to embarrass their players. I just don't think you can compare putting stats between tours. It's like comparing softball to baseball. This is a stupid argument anyways. I LIKE watching women's golf. It's a great game. I like women. Evolution made us different. Vive la difference! as the French say.

Push cart. I hit 60 and suddenly the thought of carrying my clubs was making me play less golf.

Is it always on and screen readable in direct sun?

Really. It would be great if I could find a course where people who make all of their decisions about their relationships with other people based on politics didn't go. I wish there were bars like that too! Restaurants! Cafes! I wish there were all kinds of places that intolerant people automatically banned themselves from.

I am sure an always on, screen always readable in direct sun, GPS is better and faster than a laser. I haven't seen one, not that I have looked that far, but seems like it would take a car battery. Phone apps are a waste of time, and laser beats them hands down. I keep the laser easy to reach, use it quick and put it away. It isn't costing me time, I don't sit there playing with it, but the idea of lasering landmarks when you lost sight of your ball is a good one and probably saves time.

I use the markers when I am close to one, but I like the range finder, it was a Father's Day gift, because it is so much faster than a GPS, and within 100 yards, I start having a tricky time selecting the right club without it. It gives me a number and I can just use it an not overtthink. I tend to use a best case distance because I want to play the stroke as if I were going to hit it properly, so even if I have a bit of the fatsies, or whatever, I like to assume I am going to get a solid strike. I hate like poison taking yards off of the club because of how I am hitting them that day, and then putting one in the brush behind the green on a well struck shot that should have paid off. I would rather just take my punishment on hitting it short, if that is what is to be.

I actually like Donald Trump, but I can't resist this one... When I first saw it, I was looking for a handicapped flag. I have seen that on the green. https://giphy.com/embed/UHGqqrpibVyJG

I have never had a putting lesson, it might help. It's just a low priority for me right now, not what is costing me major strokes. What I have actually settled on is focusing six inches in front of the ball, as suggested up thread, and that has helped me put some long putts really close and to sink some six to eight footers.

Ha! Sergio putted the whole Masters with his eyes shut! Line yourself up, decide on your stroke, and try to put unconsciously.

I play pretty much the same 9 holes alone walking a few times a week. When I do play with others, they basically suck and cheat, which I don't care, I don't play for money. I don't pull the flag when I am alone, a lot of times when I am alone, my eyes being what they are -- major floaters, I lose balls in flight with minimal chance of finding them. I hate taking a stroke off my score due to vision problems, even though I guess I should. It's just not something I will ever be able to improve. I know I am getting better. I am not surprised at a bogie or shocked at a par anymore. But I just don't see the point in keeping a handicap, as it would require me to play a different game than I play. Also, I am simply not competitive, which has actually hurt my game, and I am trying to put more pressure on myself in other ways.