Brakkus

It's huge I must admit. Total carry and roll is attainable but to carry it. Taking into account my range is uphill with the balls and winter here I can carry the 200 yard marker according to Google earth it's over 80 yards to the back hedge it seems so far away hard to believe the likes of Mcilroy and Co are clearing that hedge. It's also comforting to know that game golf doesn't lie and there are loads of golfers my age and handicap not hitting it any further than I do

I haven't played a driver been 2 years. 3 wood carry is about 210. Just picked up a older Cleveland hibore so interested to see my distances this season. Friend of mine used to play to a 15 some 15 years back as a teenager. He has 10 years on me anyway. First time he's played front nine he was a bit wild. Back nine he hits some great drives. Smashes it past me. Big high fade. Swear it's 250. He's hitting 230 carry with 20 yard roll out. Point is 250 carry is like a dream for most golfers. I'd be happy to reach 230 carry as someone said earlier you can play anywhere if you have that. I can play my course with hybrid and 3 wood but there are holes where you need a driver so usable carry distance is needed.

As the OP has said I've been guilty of all those infractions because it's a practice round. I've played on my own an increasing amount the last two years. I've slipped into practice mode much more recently. Having not played regularly until recently funnily I always counted my strokes fairly as I was in a group or on a society day and therefore was being marked by others. However now on my own there's no one to uphold rules. I can hit two balls retake shots ignore lost balls and generally not count my score. I've found that situational practice is far better than range practice. It's been great to get out of conservative style of play to protect a handicap. I'm trying to break out and become a better player by taking on holes. Golf is a very disciplined game so anything to make it more carefree and fun is good.

Hi everyone haven't been on in a while very busy and only started playing in last couple of months again. Moved house so at a new club for me with a championship course and a shorter track 6200 yds. The shorter valley course comfortable at this length and can shoot sub 90 regular. This week though weather was great and due to lots of people playing went out on the 7093 yd beast. It was hard but fun. Shot 93. Front nine riddled with water as it heads out into the heart of a reed bed. Tightest fairways I've ever seen. Back nine then changes wide fairways lots of elevation changes.47/46 split but felt much more comfortable on the back nine. I'm doing everything competently but nothing spectacular. It's more that tee shot that drifts right or an under hit pitch or a slightly heavy iron. Lack of play big part of that but no shot scares me now but like a bogey golfer it's hitting more clean shots as opposed to having to learn to hit shots. So close to playing really well but not quite managing it for a long enough stretch.

This one just for the moment and what Tiger brought to the game of golf. This kind of crowd and atmosphere usually seen at soccer matches, baseball, tennis etc..

I can well buy into this he's young and fit and obviously natural. He mentions the same 3 courses so if he has paid attention to course management then this is entirely possible. We'll done Jordan and for having the cajones to post it. You inspire me that anything is possible and that with the right knowledge and mental attitude learning is natural and golf is challenging but not impossible to play well. All the guys on here who are single digit should be more than aware that swing mechanics don't have to be perfect to shoot in the 70's

This happened to me this summer. Group of 4 and it was a twilight fee. We were the only two groups on the entire course. Unfortunately the club is a 9 hole so you go round twice and the possibility is always that you get behind a group who are just starting. First 5 holes are outside of a track for horse racing. I catch them up on hole 2. None of them are particularly great players. Every hole they had an opportunity to let me through especially the par 3 fourth. After the 5th hole and my complete bewilderment at the lack of gracious behaviour, I finally get a chance to skip ahead. The 6th goes inside the track and I turn right to go to the 7th. I had no issues with the standard of golf a couple in the group were playing but as a 4 they would've held me up anyway even if they were low handicappers. So to hack your way up every hole and be completely ignorant of someone on their own with absolutely no one in front of you, is not lack of knowledge of golf etiquette. It's all about good manners just like holding a door open for someone else. There's no rule that says you have to but it's respectful to do it and appreciated in return.

I find generally that hybrids suit a flatter swing shape. Shafts vary in length even of the same loft. My 20 degree isn't too much different from my irons. Some can be a fairway wood length. With a more rounded action the flat sole on my Benross V5 just doesn't dig. I've hit so many greens with it from 200-220. It either draws slightly or straight. To be honest I would rather take it than a 4 or sometimes a 5 iron. They are also excellent from under trees. Choke down with a half swing anywhere up to 180 yards out. Also fluffy rough with the ball on top or under the grass tops.

@mvmac Just an update. Turning the hips in place has seemingly cured my ball flight ills. The three clubs I struggled with Driver, 3 wood, 17 degree hybrid all were slightly leaky to the right especially the driver. Now wow! I'm hitting draws with these clubs. No idea the effect on my distance but straighter means more chances at greens. I missed on the right side of the fairway 6 or 7 times. Not totally unplayable in the majority of these shots but wide and loss of distance meant I only found 2 gir's last time out. Really hoping this will put me slightly further down the fairway. Thanks Mike

Tiger at his best was a blend of Mcilroy and Spieth. Course smarts but with the power to bring a track to it's knees. Injuries have taken away that ability to shoot the gun. I think Tiger maybe is slowly realising this. At the Quicken loans he actually got into contention but that course was 500 yards shorter than a major track. It did show that he can think his way round a course. Not sure if he can make a transition to more accuracy he always has the devil on his shoulder telling him to go for 350 with his driver. That guy has gone at least with any consistency. A different end to his career now and maybe not the one we all expected but he's not the first great player to lose his aura when back problems came a knocking.

Just a generic term to take in principle. Life isn't mistake free as is golf. I should say it's a piece by piece construction moving towards a refined movement. Along the way it will contain mistakes inevitably but as you say it can be corrected. My terminology for steep and shallow was meant as a way to perhaps shift the focus on the fact that there are not two separate swings. Mixing of the right fundamentals to achieve a repeatable contact. Like your system of 5sk as it gives room for individuals build,posture,height,etc.. There's lots of ways the golf swing is taught and very confusing hence my trail and error comment. Get a good instructor and this can be a less painful process.

My thoughts have changed considerably on the golf swing over the years. I've read as much as possible even if I disagree on it. My conclusions are that the one plane and two plane theories are not quite correct. In fact the primary thought even if Hardy doesn't say it is a golf swing needs the balance of shallow and steep. Forget where the arms are. High or low you can still screw up your downswing from both positions. He talks of hybrid golf swings in the book on tour. We'll they are not hybrid swings, tour pro's have found the right blend of steep and shallow moves. You can actually break some of Hardy's rules for a one plane action and still hit the ball well. I naturally love the around action of a baseball or tennis style swing. My hands have never been high. My downswing consists of things he says are wrong like the right elbow sliding forward and staying behind the ball. The right arm staying underneath the left at impact. If you follow a pure one plane action I don't see how you can avoid turning off the bodies power accumulators. I found I hit well but hit a weaker fade shot most of the time. It was harder work to remain so still and not use the lower body. There isn't a shortcut to an easy swing. Trial and error are the way.

Decided to work on this again as I knew from my ball flight that I was losing it right particularly if I hit it harder. Still got a nice clean contact but I would hit a straight pull or a fade. Realised that I wasn't turning the trail hip behind me. My torso was turning over to the right femur. Think Mike mentioned that it feels like a reverse tilt at first. Sorry if I'm mis quoting him,may of been someone else. Reminded me of a video Shawn Clement did where he shows quite an exaggerated hip turn. He pointed out the space it gives you on the downswing for your arms to get back down in the slot. Hit about 100 balls today it's the straightest I've ever hit the driver. The difference between that and my previous move was night and day. No wonder I couldn't get to the inside path as my club had to come around my trail hip previously. 17 degree hybrid was also a club I could readily slice. Same results was actually drawing the ball instead of fading and slicing.

Pay as I play. Haven't got the time to join a club. I always liked the idea of different courses. The beauty of looking at a course and it's environment is fresh every time I go somewhere different. One regret is I really at the beginning should have stuck with the same course for a while. Learning to hit the ball is one thing but also learning course strategy is another. Gaining confidence early on would've been a smarter decision