gregsandiego

On 12/20/2019 at 9:39 AM, NM Golf said:

Good luck man, I play golf to get away from my wife. We've been married 20 years, and we spend plenty of time together without me having to take her to the golf course with me. 

Funny story, this past summer my buddy and I were catching an afternoon 18 and the twosome in front of us was a man and his wife (or girlfriend I don't know for sure). I don't know what he had done, but she was pissed off at him. The #6 green and #7 teebox are right next to each other and as we drove up they were walking off the box and she was giving him an ear full. I turned to my buddy and said that's why I don't play golf with my wife. The next three holes that guy was always on the opposite side of the fairway from her, I know it was on purpose. 😜

Yes it's a double-edged sword.I think the ideal would be a wife/girl-friend that SOMETIMES plays. 

I've seen couples that look like they always partner on the course. I think it changes the dynamic - and not in a great way.

On 10/17/2018 at 3:17 PM, iacas said:

Joyeux anniversaire, @gregsandiego!

Thank you!

2 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Not to pick a nit, errrrr, what the hell, I'll do it. The word is "palate" not "pallet". I sold fine wine for 30 years and a pallet is something that cases of wine sit on while being shipped. OK, back on track.I

I knew that but didn't want to appear like some kind of wine snob 
LOL

13 hours ago, HJJ003 said:

How long should it last? A lot longer than mine do. I have never played 18 holes with one ball. 

Same here . Must nice to worry about them wearing out !

😁

On 9/5/2018 at 8:16 PM, Hacker James said:

I dunno...I am prolly full of it...I guess my reasoning was to start fresh without having any influence feed over from the current driver. The wine tasting metaphor was more or less tongue in cheek...pun intended. 

I get it now! Maybe swing the orange whip!

5 hours ago, Hacker James said:

First off, I am not an ardent fan of the driving range.

I do realize the benefits of feedback relative to ball flight, distance e.t.c.  I do not like range time shortly before a round citing fatigue and other factors.

I am a anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new driver and anticipate the experience of trial run on the driving range. Meanwhile, I am hesitant to visit range with my current driver noting that there is nothing particularly wrong with but at the same time want to "get into a groove" before hitting a new driver. Does that make any sense? OTOH, hitting the range "cold" is akin to clearing the pallet as in wine tasting.

 

It's an interesting piece of golfer self analysis - yet still somehow confusing. 

I get you are not sure if you should practice with old driver before taking the new driver out.
But not sure I understand, or even agree with your clearing the pallet metaphor.
 

5 hours ago, David in FL said:

No

Come on it makes some sense....

44 minutes ago, billchao said:

Are they really his tweets, though, or does he have a PR guy running his account for him? I can't help feeling like it's just another media outlet to sell his brand.

Totally a campaign - might as well be tweets from @McDonalds our @SouthWestAir.  Just look at the number of recent replies with clever videos and snarky comments.  I'd much prefer his own content. At least Ian Poulter does his own (so much so he'll fight with the public).

7 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Thanks, it really works. Once you can play while talking during your own shot nothing can distract you. 
I used this technique yesterday while being paired up with 3 well lubricated, chatty fellows. They liked to talk... no, they all loved to talk. So, I just talked through my own shot and they were amazed I was able to do that. The first time I did it was on a 75 yard pitch shot... which I'm ready to admit is not my best shot. But I talked to one of them right through hitting my 55 degree sand wedge at about 75% and stuck it to about 6 feet. The guy was amazed and impressed. 

I can't pretend I'm the greatest golfer in the world. But I can tell you I don't get distracted. 

Take care,

I was at  best ball event last week and it was my turn to putt from about 12'. I talked jokingly through the putt , pretending to be a sports announcer. It was the only birdie I made that day. You may be on to something.

On 8/28/2018 at 9:27 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

Hey brother.

 

I’m going to tell you what everyone else here either afraid or too polite to tell you.

 

You are WEAK!

 

And honestly, I mean that in the nicest way. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings and not trying to be mean. Your game may be strong, but your mind is weak. But, I will help you. … more on that later.

 

 

 

If somebody asking your score walking off the green throws you off your game, and you are too afraid of them to just say “Hey, I like to keep my own card.” Or just tell them your score and move on. That is a you problem. That means you are weak.

 

 

 

If somebody moving around whilst your putting bothers you. Again, that’s on you. You are weak. The ball isn’t moving. The hole isn’t moving. The green isn’t moving. Letting others line up their putts and prepare for their putt during yours is just a way to speed up play. What on Earth are you looking at anyway. You could have a brass band roll through the fairway and it wouldn’t affect my putt one iota. If they are not actually standing in your line. Then suck it up, buttercup. Strengthen your mental game, brother.

 

 

 

Lastly, the talking thing. Okay, here’s what I used to do. When somebody is talking to me and I want to go hit a shot, I would simply say. “Excuse me, I’m anxious to hear that story, but could you give me a minute to get my head around this shot?” Then do your pre-shot routine, hit your ball, come back and say “Now, what were you saying about your mother-in-law?”

 

That’s what I used to do. But now, I’ve found an even better solution. I TALK DURING MY OWN SHOT. If I’m playing with a chatting person. Or, sometimes just to practice the technique. I stand over the ball. I say “Alright, I’m going to start this 5-wood down the right side toward the greenside bunker. I’m going to hit it with about 6 yards of draw. It’s going to land at about 210 on the collar and roll up next to the pin.” Then WHILE I’M ACTUALLY SWINGING I say “I love my 5-wood. It’s the best club in my bag. I’ve hit this shot a thousand times.” …. Or words to that affect.

 

Nobody else will talk. And even if they do. Who cares? It really puts you in the moment. You can do it on full shots, chips, putts, whatever you want. Do it a couple of times and you may find you shoot the best scores of your life. You are outwardly expressing your commitment to the shot.

 

 

 

This takes a little bit of practice. But once you learn to talk during your own shot nothing and I mean nothing will ever distract you again. When I started doing this, I would bring my dog to the range or a friend or my wife or whomever and just have conversation and literally talk while I’m hitting shots. You will find that pretty soon talking or not talking will have no effect on your performance. When I first started doing this I would just talk about my day or the new brakes I needed for my car. It doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

Play 9 holes talking during every one of your own shots and you will find you shoot the same, if not better score than you did when you were all buckled down and serious. Do that a couple of times and nothing will ever distract you again…. You’re welcome.

 

 

 

…. Oh, and the high handicappers not respecting the game thing you said… yeah, that kind of made you sound like an a$$-hole. 

 

Good post and an interesting idea about talking through your own shot.

7 hours ago, billchao said:

I'm kind of confused by the whole thread. What happened to golf? The same thing that happened to most of the rest of the world. Technology. Inflation. Change.

I see your point

And you know what? If you want to play with historic old clubs I most golfers would think that was cool.

And it's still cheap enough. I can probably find a twilight round for $25 in San Diego. That's not expensive for 4.5 hours.

It's always weird when the OP leaves an initial post then never returns.

6 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Well, I will NEVER allow my shadow to fall across someone's putting line, nor will I ever step on their line or their "through" line!

Courtesy is courtesy! And the golf version is a particular style! Those who are ignorant of it need to be educated.

Never ?

I don't do this intentionally.  My point is those that get all bent out of shape as if they're putting in the US Open need to face reality of their amateur status.

 

22 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I completely agree, there’s no place on a golf course for being sociable and if anyone shows any sense of humor should be reprimanded.

God forbid if anyone is talking 5 minutes before and after I make my shots. Absolute silence on the greens. No alcoholic beverages or cigars.

No push carts and electric carts are for handicapped old farts who don’t belong on any golf course any more.

While we’re at it, ban cart girls because they dress too seductively in those khakis and polo shirts!

 

 

 

 

Sounds like someone had a bad round! 😜🤪😂

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agree with you Lihu and I kind of read this post in reverse, i.e. the thing that bothers me most are people that are TOO serious. Why are they allowing themselves to be paired randomly if they are so particular? 

I  think of people that worry too much about where I stand, where my shadow falls, when I talk etc etc etc 

On 8/23/2018 at 2:48 PM, MarvChamp said:

On 

Or maybe just arrogant. Kinda. Maybe. Best, -Marv

That was my read.

On 8/22/2018 at 3:46 AM, Valleygolfer said:

ThIs confirms my suspicion. How far do you hit the club? 

Varies but I use it for anything 50 yards or less.

13 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Not necessarily. It's more of a visual. For PITCH shots, you want the club to slide/glide under the ball more. This happens because the bounce helps the club from digging into the ground. You still want to hit the ball first most of the time. It's just the club helps you if you don't. With a good wedge (52, 56, 60, etc..), you can hit slightly behind the ball and get away with it.

On a Full Swing, you do not want to have that pitching motion. You want to strike the ball first. The leading edge will dig into the ground like any other iron.

This could be true. I remember a club fitter telling me once, that golfers will tend not to hit the lie angle board because they know it's not grass. It could take a few tries to actually hit it.

Now we are getting somewhere. I think I usually do good on nice fluffy grass and my Cleveland 56 somehow lets me get away with that. 

7 hours ago, Hacker James said:

this is not exactly the one I recall, but you may find it helpful

(never mind...bad link), but you can search google for 

Using bounce in wedges  there are several, one that seems germane is from Andrew Rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will look for it.

16 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

This would be speculation without seeing it but you should always hit the ball first except in bunker style shots. My guess is that you flip your club and the mat keeps the bounce from being flush with the mat's surface.  

It doesn't seem like you know how to hit a 56 wedge properly according to what you have written. They should be hit with a downward blow, ball first and hands in front of the club head. @mvmac has some videos on here. I used figjam's secrets of the short game to learn. 

Thank you. It's that "sliding under thing" that I didn't invent. I know I hear it...

13 hours ago, saevel25 said:

What type of shot are you hitting?

If you are hitting a full shot, then the ball should be closer to the middle of your stance. You want to hit the ball first.

If you are hitting pitch shots, then you want it to slide under the ball.

I knew it! See - some people do say "slide under". If you slide under you are hitting the ground first, right ??

11 hours ago, Hacker James said:

Use the bounce. I seem to recall a thread specific to this. 

If you find it let me know... I'll do a search.

10 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

@gregsandiego Do you have a swing thread?

No, sorry.

On the course the 56 is one of my more reliable clubs. 

But on  the mat I seem to have a lot of thin shots and that bothers me. Am I supposed to be hitting the ball 1st? I've heard conflicting advice about "sliding the club under the ball". 

On the course I think I'm aiming just at the point the ball meets the ground and that works. Whether I'm hitting  ground first, ball first, or almost simultaneously, I'm not really sure.

Is there something special about the mats with a high lofted wedge that I'm overlooking?

19 hours ago, gregbwfc said:

Thanks for the advice - mixed responses! 

I bought a used Cleveland Classic Custom XL in the hope it would improve my driving consistency. Apparently it's one of the more forgiving drivers in golf. I hit a couple hundred balls on the range, plus a couple of outings on the course and I must say I hate it! 

Going back to my Taylormade R7 and will probably get a few lessons to iron out any fundamental issues I probably have. 

Thanks 

Forgiving Schmorgiving. Is there really such a thing? I spent a lot of money on a new Cobra a while ago (a model like Ricky Fowler uses) and it didn't solve anything. I went back to a Taylormade R5 - something I got for $25 on eBay I think.

9 hours ago, hopingtoenjoyagain said:

Hi folks, brand new member here, and I literally joined because of this thread.  I almost cried when I read this entire thread...because I completely understand what downbylaw11 is saying.  I don't mean to be disrespectful towards those of you contributing to this discussion, I guess my observation is that if you haven't been in someone's shoes on this then it's hard not to offer up the advice that makes the most sense to you based on your experience.  

Not to be too dramatic, but my golf game has literally fallen to pieces almost overnight due to this exact issue.  About 10 years ago I was a 15 handicap, shooting in the 80s on a good day and mostly in the 90s, rarely over 100 if ever.  My swing was fine, not great, but good enough to warrant continual investment in the game.  My triggering event was preparing for a 40th birthday trip to Scotland with 5 of my best friends.  I prepared in my basement, working on my swing, practice putting, and then hitting the range in the spring before our trip, but admittedly my preparation was not on the course, I rarely hit the course before our big trip.  Then we got to Scotland and my mental issues started on Day 1.  I don't know why, it just happened, possibly triggered by my lack of confidence on the short grass w/links style courses.  But what happened was crazy.  On my short chips I started missing the ball completely, my arms would yip upwards not on the practice swing, but only when swinging over the ball.  It then moved to my putting...what you all would call yips.  Bottom line is I golfed the most amazing courses in the world over those 7 days, and I never shot better than 110, I was literally overnight losing to a friend of mine who I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever have lost to ever.  Did I mention ever?  

Fast forward 10 years, I have not shot under 100 AT ALL in my 40s, and I am set to turn 50 next March and once again, the group wants to go to Scotland.  

My friends love to talk about my practice swing, even the caddie at St Andrews said the same thing to me..."why don't you just swing like your practice swing?".  So that comment from the caddie led to 10 years of this comment.  I feel very strongly that it is 100% mental.  This is not about mechanics, it's not about angles, it's not about tricking my brain, it's way smarter than my ability to trick it with games like 'close your eyes' or 'look through the ball'.  In my opinion the angle issues, the swing issues...those are symptoms of the mental problem, they are outcomes from the mental problem, and so the idea of a video and swing plane and angles makes absolutely no sense to someone like me (and I think downbylaw11) because those actions imply mechanical failure. My issue is simple, when I swing without a ball it flows nicely, I transfer nicely, it's a decent swing, it's consistent, it feels great.  Then when I get over the ball...the brain starts kicking in there you go.  My current goal when golfing is anything less than a triple bogey...that is considered a win for me. 

So, unfortunately what has happened to me is that I am often embarrassed to play with anyone other than my closest friends.  I feel bad that they have to put up with this crap, and it makes me sad...until I remember that this is a first world problem :-).  So I've basically stopped golfing other than a couple times a year with my teenage son.  And now I want to see if I can overcome it over the next 9 months and I'm trying to figure out how best to proceed.  I don't have a solution, but I felt compelled to back up what downbylaw11 has been saying.  

The only advice that I've found that makes sense is what I read from Hank Haney's Fix the Yips book, which was the brain gets wired a certain way and that wiring is tied to the club hitting the ball, that specific connection between club and ball, and that the way to get out of it is to 'unwire' that connection.  Sounds easy, right?

Thanks for letting me get this off of my chest, I feel better already :-).

What makes yours an interesting case is how it seemed to come on later in your golf career. It sounds like you were about to have the golf event of your dreams and the anticipation of that psyched you out.

I'm interested in what Haney said. How do you do this "unwire" ? I never golfed as good as you, but I had to physically force myself for two years to overcome the tendency to rush the downswing - something i never did with the practice swing.

Just the left the range on a perfect Sunday evening in San Diego. I hit maybe 25 balls. My rule hasn't changed. If I'm hitting well I'm outta there.

On 5/14/2018 at 9:14 AM, Swindon said:

Salt Creek in Chula Vista, San Diego.  Sad, shot my career low there.

Damn - I didn't know that . I've played there - liked it

What's worrisome  is this: are there any NEW courses coming on line? If not this might be like drive-in movies. (Well hopefully not that bad)

I recently was on "injured reserve" myself, so I can sympathize. 

Was this a golf injury?

Rotate your wrists as the club face nears the ball. I forget what technical term the instructor used for this but I could rarely do it without way OVER doing it and hitting some crazy shot.

3 hours ago, Vinsk said:

https://www.yahoo.com/newsroom/vibes/golf/why-toys-r-us-bankruptcy-40ft1pd?soc_src=newsroom&soc_trk=com.apple.UIKit.activity.CopyToPasteboard&.tsrc=newsroom

Interesting. My favorite golf store as well.

Thanks for sharing. Surprised to hear PGA golf stores are doing well but glad. There is one near my work with indoor practice simulators that I use every day. The deal is so good I almost don't like to share it.