Finley

I play in TN. All Bermuda fairways, some fluffy sand and some hard sand. It's not very soft around here. In the soft sand I use my 56 and open it up. In the firm sand I use my 60. But I'm more concerned with pitch shots with the wedges from fairways. I'm more of a neutral swinger. Most pitch shots I prefer to come in neutral/shallow. Sometimes I'll come in steep for a one bounce and stop shot. I bought a 56.14 and that seemed to be too much bounce for me. The 56 I'm currently playing is 12. Any suggestions or guidance would be highly appreciated. I probably should've started my own thread. Sorry!

I am in the market for a new set of wedges. Currently I have a 52, 56, and a 60. All three are different, I need a set that matches. The closest retail store to me is Dick's. Went there today but the guy in the golf department new nothing about the different grinds. I hit a 56 M and S. I think I liked the M grind better but couldn't really tell a difference. So I'm not sure what to buy.

Tefunk, 81 is a great score. I'd take that everyday with a smile. Randy, sounds like you'll have a good year once you get some golf under your belt. I played yesterday(85), and today(86). Yesterday I had a solid 40 on the front. I had 4-5 putts that could've just as easily went in. The back side I became sloppy as play became extremely slow. Today was a head scratching day. I had 4 birdies, which is the most in a round for me. But I also couldn't pitch/chip to save my life. That's usually my strong point. Before the round I practiced pitching to 30, 50, and 75. It went excellent. 5 shots to each and hit all 5. Off to the tee box. Par 5 first hole. 500 yards. Not difficult at all. Birdie. After that I hit several fat pitch shots and the ones that weren't fat went long which resulted in 6 doubles! :-O I did come extremely close to a hole in one. Par 3, 173 to the flag. 6 iron for me. It hit 3 foot short, hit the flag stick and stopped right by the hole. Maybe one of these days I'll get one of those to fall.

Randy, how did the round go? Hopefully good!

That's going to be tough man! First round of the year on a new course. Sounds like a fun day though. Good Luck! Yeaaa 80.. Started off with 3 straight bogeys. Got a birdie on #4 and from there I started playing pretty good. My chipping/pitching is what's keeping my score down. 1 double, OB from the Tee. Grr.

Randy, I play mostly from the whites. The course that I've broke 80 on I play it from the blues now. You guys been playing any? Shot an 80 last week. I should be able to play at least once this week. Nice weather here in TN.

Randy, yes the new driver has helped me tremendously. I went from a regular flex 9.5 to a stiff 10.5. Good luck with your new swing! Masterhacker, congrats!! Tefunk, that's a good way to start the year. Maybe we will be shooting sub 80s on a regular basis soon. I read that book you recommended. Excellent book. I finished that book right before I shot a 78 on March 6th. I went into that round with a good feeling and a mind for scoring, thanks! I've played 5 rounds so far this year. First two came on two new courses, 89 and 87. 85, 82, and a 78 on a course I played a lot last year. (70.4/120) 6,453. Feels good to get that sub 80 round out of the way! Its crazy how much "knowing" a golf course matters when it comes to scoring. I can't wait to get back to the two new courses now that I've seen them once.

Thanks for the write up Randy. How's it going?

Randy, I hope you're right! That's good that you have a good fitness routine going on. Every so often I will look for a fitness routine that is designed for golf. Any recommendations?

Tefunk, I am going to pick up the book today. Thanks for the recommendation. I didn't do a lot of swinging in the house this winter, but I did do a lot of chipping and pitching with my 60 degree. That was a mistake I am finding out. I played 18 yesterday and I was horrible around the greens from hitting behind the ball.

So I'm starting to get back into the swings of things. Practicing often. Today I went out to a wide open park with my range finder. I am hitting quite shorter than I was when I finished last year. All of my irons are about 10-15 yards shorter... Anybody else have this happen?

TeFunk, you broke 80 in my eyes, congrats!!! A 76 is an awesome round!

Congrats Tefunk!! That's a good way to end the year! A little late but in October I shot my best round, 79. I wasn't keeping score so it kind of felt like it didn't happen. 42 on the front, 37 on the back. During the round I didn't think about breaking 80 until I birdied 17 and realized I was +1 for the back. Then I started trying to figure out what I shot on the front. Since then I played once in December, 40 on the front, didn't finish the back due to night fall. I'm starting to get that itch... Come on spring!

I game the mp-62s. Love them. I went from nike ignite (game improvement irons) to the mp-62s. I wasn't ever comfortable swinging the Ignites because they are just so big, like most game improvement irons. I feel comfortable with the 62s and my scores are showing it. The 52s and 67s will feel a little different, make sure you swing them first.

Haha, you are correct. At least it wasn't short! I hate leaving birdie putts short... I've been doing a lot of range work lately. Mostly scoring clubs. 8 - LW. 10 shots each. Goal is to get all 7/10 within 10 yards of target. Today I reached my goal on all clubs except 9 iron. With my new driver I'm hitting 9/10 made up fairways at the range. With a stiff flex I can now hit low draw, high draw, and a high fade on command. I'm learning to not swing as hard with the driver and let my setup dictate my shot. All of the greens around me have been aerated so I'll just be practicing for a week or two. I have 83 days left to reach my goal of 79..

80 today. 40, 40. 1 double, 6 bogeys, no birdies. I missed a lot of birdie putts today short..... ?? Randy, the stiff driver is really helping me. The head isn't as whippy coming through the ball which is making it easier to control.

85 today. Got a new Driver. Rocketballzzzzzzz. Went from a regular to a stiff flex and I had my best driving day this year. 39 on the front. I was playing really well Tee to Green. I had one mess up when a foursome let me play through, Double, besides that good 9 holes. Then the back 9. 46. Totally not fun. Rained on holes 10 - 17. The journey continues.

84 yesterday and 84 today. Couldn't putt yesterday to save my life. Today I had a messy front 9. I was missing left and right. Finally got loose on the back and played some good golf. It's almost time to start aerating the greens around here. That might make putting a little more... challenging.

David, I always start out that way. That is the reason I'm firing off a 39 on the front. Once I make the turn I start thinking about breaking 80. I try so hard to not think about it. I keep my score on an app, so I never look at it until the round is finished. It's hard not to know you shot a sub 40 front though..

Ginger, I for sure need a sub 40 on the front. Yesterday's front could have been 37 instead of 39. Missed two par putts on 8 and 9 within 8 feet I'd say. Three putted number 2. On the back I didn't give myself good opportunities for par. Terry, I've done the same and it helps for sure. Good luck! Randy, you are so close!! 80! I hope you get to play more as I'm sure you will get it if you do. David, I'm playing two new courses next week. It's going to be nice to see some new layouts.

Any luck fellas??! 85 on Monday. 84 today. I'm getting pretty consistent at shooting 39 on the front, but I can't seem to keep it going.

Ended up playing today. 82... 39 on the front, 43 on the back. Doubled 16 and 18. Played good golf today. Just two bad shots on 16 and 18.

Anybody get close lately? I'm going to practice short game today and play tomorrow.

Brakkas and inthehole, my chipping it close is the reason I've scored 39 twice in the last few weeks. I've spent several hours on or around a practice green. For my 60, 56, 52, pw, and 9iron I use the same chipping stroke. Same distance back, same follow through. I know how far each club will carry my ball and roll out. I pace off the chip, consider up vs down hill, and pick the appropriate club. Now all I have to do is a simple chipping stroke I've practice a 1000 times. Randy, nice 80 today! Oh so close! You'll get it soon!

Good luck today Randy. I hope you get it. Islanders, hang in there. We all have those days when the ball is allergic to the cup. Tefunk, hopefully you can get after it soon.