soloredd

I played from the blues yesterday (tips on this course) for the first time (6800 yards). I normally play from whites (6200-6500). I actually got talked into it by my friend and let me tell you, the first 5-6 holes were a complete mind f&%k. I was over swinging and trying to over compensate every shot. Finally, I relaxed and just played and it was like playing from my regular tees. I was able to get a good number of GIR chances and even had a shot on a par 5 to get on in two (came up just short, thinned it a bit). The only place I struggled was the par 3s. We had 3 200-yard par 3s and one that was 180 or so. My stubborn ass kept trying to punk my 5 iron into these and have it roll but all I ended up doing was making too big of a swing and getting stuck. The one time I hit my hybrid nice and easy I had GIR and par. I think I'll be playing tees that are around 6800 from now on, unless I'm with a select group of friends who are just starting out. If nothing else, it will help me get confident with some of my longer clubs (4i inparticular). edit: Just to add to this: an amazing thing happened during that round. I play this course every other month or so, I know the layout and where to miss, etc. Two holes specifically we try to get our tee shot to or past a specific point. One hole is a par 4 into a prevailing headwind and there's a bush on the left side of the fairway. If we can get past that bush, we know we are in a good spot - this is from the whites. Hitting from the blues today, I had no problem getting to that bush and beyond. Maybe my game is just improving that much or its a combination of that and also telling myself to relax there's no way I can make it anyway LOL

I've been all over the map with glove sizes (even cadet) and finally settled on small for the Titleist gloves. Their leather is really soft and thin but it stretch to almost a medium size for me. I found when I was using a medium that it was stretching and bunching up just enough to cause breakdown areas. With the small, I don't have that problem. Recently I either read or heard someone talking about glove size and the recommendation was to go smaller. Finding the right glove is a mission in itself, I tell ya.

I have the SkyCaddie SG3.5. I love it but I really have my eye on the Callaway U-Pro; I love how it's pre-loaded and it does aerial fly overs. I think I'll renew for one more year (my sub is up in June) and then make the switch. What I like about mine is it is lightweight, minimal (just gives yardages to various POI, no graphics), and the battery gets me through at least 2 rounds before charging.

I don't really try to emulate swings but I do have a tendency when I have a wedge in hand to think of Tiger. His posture, how he attacks the greens. Other than that, I'm just me.

I think I'm blessed with the ability to look out from the tee box and completely blur everything but the fairway. I used to be wary of water off the tee as well. I could be killing my tee shots all day and on this one hole completely duck hook it in or top it. It's amazing stuff how the brain is working. For me now, I just look out and see the fairway and where I want the ball to go. And I committ to the swing. It's a rare occasion these days that I go in the water - usually it's from a wedge from about 100 yards over the water to the green. And I agree with the above, if it helps you to go long, do it.

This has been one of the biggest changes for me this year. Looking at video of my previous 2 years, my left arm was breaking down, in addition to my backswing being too damn long. Now, my focus is a taught left arm and what feels like a 3/4 swing (on video it's not even that). When I do this, I'm at my best and play really well. And like you, driver to wedge, this is my method.

86 (45/41), my first time playing from the blues. Pretty happy considering I was +9 thru 6. Had 5 3-putts, which makes me want to vomit.

I use my 3 wood or hybrid when the driver isn't working. In fact, I used my 3 hybrid most of last year (and a 5 iron), as my driver was on restriction (0 confidence in it), and it worked out ok. This year my driver has been solid, one of my most confident clubs in the bag.

My previous wedges were the Watson set in black. Got them in 2009 and played them until August 2010 when I got my Vokeys and decided I didn't need the 60* and liked a 50* over 52*. Great set for the money, no question, although I agree with the above, they are very light.

How many in your group or just solo? Our foursome is planning a trip for next March and have decided on staying on-site and sharing the cost for one of the offerings. I think it came out to around $

I moved to the ProV1 this year after playing the B330-RX in 2010 and the e6 in 2009. I've been buying up boxes of the "old" ProV1 from my local golf shop (I absolutely love this ball). I did play a sleeve of the 2011 ProV1x during a round but, for me, it just didn't bite as much as the ProV1 although it had slightly more distance. I still have 2 more sleeves of the "old" ProV1 then I think I'll try a sleeve of the new ones and compare. If I can get more distance without losing the bite, that would be great. Fortunately, folks seem to be buying the new version so the older ones aren't selling out yet.

This makes it sound like all the prior year TW games. Thought this one was supposed to be more difficult? I actually was thinking about picking it up for my 360 next week but not if it's a walk in the park to shoot in the 50s... edit: well, saw the tail end of the post about the amateur difficulty. What are other folks playing on? Does it provide enough of a challenge for $60+?

I think too much is made of handicaps as it is, I could care less how someone arrived at theirs. Now, if it's a friend of mine whom I play regularly with, yeah I like to know because it keeps the friendly competition going. But, I can't stand when a complete stranger asks me about mine when we aren't in a tournament or playing for money...it's completely irrelevant.

I use the one that came with my Rife putter but I don't like it. The velcro is not sticking much so the damn thing falls off a lot. I bought some covers from Stealth awhile back and love the neoprene fit to them so I think I'll get one of those when I lose the original one (which is inevitable). The reason I keep it on my Rife is the face has the RollGrooves on them - I don't want the face to get blemished.

81 (39/42), career best for me. I had 79 in my sights but pulled a stupid on 16 - I tried my friend's driver. Was a bad hole to do it on, should have waited until 17 when I had bailout options. I was +6 going to 16 and I overcooked the tee shot and it rolled into a water hazard, ended up with double-bogey. Had birdie op on 17 with a 6-footer but I burned the left side of the hole; then bogeyed 18. Ah well...next time!

When you are on the range, pretend you are playing a round. What I do is envision 3 holes at a favorite course and I play each shot from tee to green. Hit driver, estimate distance left, hit whatever club that is and so on. Go through the full drill - pre-shot routine and everything. I'll usually do this on the latter part of a bucket, after I've worn through working on whatever it is that day (wedges, irons, woods, etc.) You want to make your practice real. By that I mean, when you are in a round where strokes matter, it should feel like it does during practice. You've been there before, you've hit that shot before, you know what it should feel like.

Sand shots & putting. The former has cost me some potential career low rounds the past 2 weeks. I'm ok on greenside bunkers but longer sand shots have killed me.

Age: 30 Height: 5'10'' Current weight: 205lbs. Goal weight: 170lbs. I am starting Insanity on Monday, should be fun and look forward to tracking the progress. Congrats to everyone in the thread for working toward their goals!

For me, the shanks start when I swing with just my arms and then fire my hips way ahead. It's laziness/fatigue and if I had video of myself I'd probably vomit at how hard I'm trying to compensate. I work 12 hour night shifts and I have to be really careful when going to the range after work. If I get up to 75-100 balls it starts, 100% of the time. I've also had this happen after rounds. I've gone to the range and just shank the crap out of a bucket. I still go to the range a lot and hit before a round.

I don't think I posted in this year's goals thread yet. 1. Break 85 (have done it twice already this year) 2. Get handicap 15 or below 3. Play a new course outside my local area 4. Improve putts-per-hole 5. Begin training for 2012 local amateur tournament (for my handicap flight)

Bummer, they have nothing on the West Coast. How do these work? Do you have to play in every event? edit: nevermind. Just read through the GolfChannel website. This sounds awesome, I'll look into joining next year. I've seen the commercials a few times, should have looked into it a lot sooner. Thanks!

That Faldo drill is what is taught in the "Four Magic Moves" by Joe Dante. I worked with it over the winter and it helps with getting a feel for what a good wrist hinge is. However, like Zeph mentioned, you do not want much, if any, roll of the forearm artificially. Sure, it will happen slightly with a straight left arm, bending right arm, and a solid shoulder turn (not dipping!)

Get those things dirty! Maybe in your mind you don't want to take a big divot with brand new clubs? :)

84 (42/42) on a course I shot 99 at a month ago. Actually left a lower score out there: had a 4-putt on the back 9 that was just mental lapse and also tried cutting a dogleg but hooked it into water. Oh well, wanted badly to get under 85 and I did.

I like to start a new round with a new ball (ProV1). After the round I give the ball to my son (he's 2) so he can hit them around the backyard. When I played the e6 I would play those until I lost it.