Zeph

One has to assume the baby is born then. Good for them, not so good for the rest of the field.

“Performance Hats”. I can’t help, and they are expensive, but if I buy a cap I can use it for years, so it’s not that big of a deal if it’s $30 or $70, but the $30 ones are fine. I’m in the middle of my first watch. It’s so much fun and works just as well today. Being born in the 80’s, I had some nostalgic feelings to the paper forms, calculators, phones and everything else from the early 2000’s. Just read that season 10 is coming.

This is a discussion of facts vs feelings. Those kind of discussions have a tendency to never end, as the 7088 posts so far in this topic is a good indication of.

Good tip. You can’t set the shutter speed manually on the built-in camera app on an iPhone, but it’s possible with a different app. I bought the ProCam 8 ($9.99), where you can set everything manually. For videos, I can set it to a maximum of 1/1600-1800. I tried 60 and 240 FPS, and even at 60 FPS the video is much better with higher shutter speed than the built-in app where you can’t control the shutter speed. You can see the face angle in every frame, while on the built-in app with 240 FPS the entire club is a blur. And that’s with only a pair of portable LED work lights.

Sounded like he had the option hit a new ball if he didn’t like the shot, playing scramble with himself. Hitting a new ball meant using an option, which locked him in to that option, but for the hole or round? And what were the options?

Thanks! Evolvr, for sure. My indoors setup is pretty close to ready. I want to add a few more lights as it's a pretty dark place to begin with (old barn). Plan to use my iPhone 14 Pro, 720p 240 FPS. I think I got a tripod somewhere, but I nail everything down so I'll make a small box I can just plop the phone into. That way I know it's always in the same spot and level. How does the setup look in terms of angles and stuff. I saw that topic and bookmarked it for later. A technique where you want the head to move forward and down? I've been doing that for twenty years! (not on purpose) 😛 Looks fun, I'll certainly try it out. £7000. That's certainly "down the line". What would be a good price? Thanks. I'll probably hold off until at least winter comes and see where we're living at that point. For the next six months I'll combine indoor practice with the range, which helps.

Yikes, how time flies. Here we are, almost ten years later. After prioritizing family life and other things for a long time, I'm finally ready to play more golf. Grip: I came across some topics on grip and think my grip has been a bit too palmy, especially the left hand. I'm trying to get it more in the fingers and less diagonal. Setup: After a few weeks of playing, this realization came today after watching one of Erik's Covid videos. I've been standing too far from the ball, and that messes up so much. Moved closer on a short practice session and six holes today, and it felt great. It also felt familiar, so I've been there before. I went from chunking the bejesus out the wedges to much better contact. I love changes that involves no moving parts. Just a small correction on the setup and I'm hitting it better and is better suited for working on changes. I'm a few years late, but the Covid series has been very useful to get small details sorted. I've also had to revise ball position. The goal now is back of ball in the middle of the stance as the farthest back with wedges, and progressively moving forward the longer the clubs get. Haven't hit the driver yet, but inside left foot or at the toe I suppose. Full swing: It's not terrible. I noticed my hands were too low, so got that to work on. Weight forward. More of the same stuff from earlier days. Swing path is now out-in and I want the push-draw back. When I get some videos it'll be easier to tell. I've also had this idea that my tempo or flow/rhythm could improve. It's always felt rushed around the end of the backswing into the transition, where things don't line up as they should. A short pause as things settle before starting the downswing. Some lessons might be in order. Chipping and pitching: A 12-hole round this week demonstrated a severe need to practice, but also to figure out what the heck I’m trying to do. I stood over the ball with no idea of what I wanted to achieve. On a four meter chip! I was trying the locked wrists technique, which did not work at all. As usual when I need information, I look for something Erik has posted. I’ve seen the Quickie Pitching Video before, but if I got it back then, I’ve forgotten. After reviewing that topic, some other topic about chipping and most importantly, the videos on chip/pitch from his Covid series, I felt like I understood the concept. I love the idea of separating those two by what you are trying to achieve, not by distance or ball flight. With one method you use the leading edge to hit the ball first. With the other, you use the sole to slide it under the ball. I was surprised he said that he went for the pitch 90% of the time while playing. I’ve always been scared of that shot and been thinking I have to hit the ball first. Trying to slide the club under usually ended with a chunked or skulled shot. After practicing in the yard the last days I get it, and see why the pitching motion is more forgiving. It’s astounding how easy the concept and motion is. Kudos to Erik, David and anyone else involved for being an excellent students of the game and teachers. With those two videos, my short game improved leaps and bounds, without even practicing. Just getting the setup right and knowing what motions you are trying to do is a big part of improving. Soft hands and floaty swings feels so much better than a rigid “hinge and hold”, trying to fight gravity and momentum by squeezing the life out of the grip. At least how I took to understand the “hold” part. I also think the chipping motion will help in the full swing. Keeping pressure on the trigger finger to ensure the hands are leading the clubhead and not throwing it at the ball. I've also tried looking in front of the ball at times when chipping, which helps. That's something I've been doing on full swings for a long time, and can make a big difference on the ball flight. Question @iacas: You say in the videos that you want the ball somewhere near the middle of your stance, and that for pitching it's the same. On the videos you got a fairly narrow stance, where inside of the left foot is almost middle of the stance, but the ball looks more inside the left foot than middle of the stance. Is that caused by the filming angle or is the ball more towards the inside of the foot? I often hit chips and pitches from uphill and downhill lies, where a narrow stance would have me fall over. What is your thought process and setup for those shots? The lowpoint follows the upper body, around left armpit IIRC, so a ball position relative to the feet may not be in the same spot relative to the upper body with a wider stance. Practice: I've set up my nets at an indoors location where I can practice at home. I did a quick search on launch monitors (LM), but haven't decided on anything yet. We're probably buying a house in this area in the near future, so I may hold off a purchase until I see what I can get going there. At some point I'd love to get a proper setup with a LM that can be used as a simulator. Outdoors golf is not an option 4-6 months a year here, so having an indoors option would be great. That would also be a place to use the longer clubs. My nearest course is a shorter six hole course where I don't use anything longer than a 21º utility iron. To play longer 18 hole courses I have to drive 1-1.5 hours each way, which I will do now and then, but not regularly. The LM market has changed a lot since Trackman arrived, and more people are buying them for personal use, but it's still need to spend a lot of money for a decent one that can fi. track club path. The Mevo at £305 could perhaps be something to consider. Maybe they have lowered the price to get out units before a new model is launched? It is almost six years old, though perhaps modified since then. It's got limited data and obviously isn't an option as a simulator, but could provide some data when hitting into a net. I'd have to read more about it first. It has to be good enough to be useful for indoors practice. As long as I frequently hit balls on the range or course, I'll get feedback on any changes there.

Getting in before this topic is locked. ”I hit it fat”. - Maybe his weight is too far back. ”My weight is not too far back”. - Okay, the video will help. Video: Weight looks too far back. ”I fixed it because my parents are rich”. Oookay. Good luck. OP seems a lost cause, so what we can learn from this topic (not that there aren’t enough examples out there) is that weight forward is important and don’t always trust what the person is saying. It may not be correct, be it trolling, ignorance or lack of knowledge.

He could’ve just said “I’m too stupid”, period.

First (12 holes) round in a year, maybe the third round in five years. After prioritizing family for a long time, I’m ready to play more golf. We moved back where I grew up and started playing golf. The course is close, but only six holes and pretty short, so the longest club I bring is a 4i. It is very undulated, with a lot of elevation changes and 4/6 greens are blind shots. The long game was relatively good (relative to my game and swing). Got things to work on, but the current state is manageable. One OB. Wedges and short game was atrocious. Chunking like I was making a garden. On the worst hole I chunked a 58° approach, then chunked three chips in a row… Time to search up some chipping topics and start practicing. I’ll take this over bad long game and good short game. The short game is easier to fix. Shot a net +17(!), gross +23, over 12 holes.

Meanwhile on the PGA Tour, Scheffler is five ahead through 15 with play to resume on Monday. If he wins, it would be his fourth in five starts. Has two players ever dominated like that simultaneously?

Ian Poulter takes brutal swipe at PGA Tour over TV ratings after Masters figures emerged - Mirror Online The PGA Tour has seen a fall in TV viewership in recent months, and LIV Golf star Ian Poulter could not...

An important reason for why it's more competitive today is that more people on earth are able to practice and spend time on any sport or activity. There are potentially talents better than Tiger out there that never picked up a golf club.

It's certainly improved in 2024. If he keeps the current level of play going, it'll be tough for everyone else out there. He was extremely good everywhere but with the putter in 2023.

His weakness has been putting, which has been significantly worse than the rest of his game. His game is still good enough to keep him usually in the top ten, with a T31 his worst result the last year. I like watching Scheffler play. As a person he's not the most flamboyant, but he's long, has a complete game and is great at recovery. It was a well deserved win. I watched until hole 14 before going to bed since I had to get up early for work. At that point Homa, Åberg and Morikawa had all made their double bogeys and Scheffler was going steady for the win. Impressive tournament by the Masters rookie Åberg. He seems to have a good head.

I see the point, but that's how they count and it's the same for every player.

Tiger played every single Masters and made the cuts from 1997 to 2013. That's 17 times. He then made the cut in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He withdrew during the third round in 2023, but still made the cut. How has Tiger not made 24 consecutive cuts in which he played? Nicklaus made the cut from 1968 to 1982, which is 15 times. He withdrew after the first round in 1973, breaking the streak. Player played every year from 1959 to 1972, making all 14 cuts. He didn't play in 1973, then played the next 9 Masters and made the cut in all of them. Masters.com has the same stats as they do on TV: https://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/cutline.html

Tiger got through four rounds, but it was a struggle. He made some new records this week. Most consecutive cuts made, his highest score in any tournament at +16, worst finish in a (completed) Masters at 60th. It's difficult to imagine him winning again.

Tiger in free fall now. Let's go, Homa!

I've forgotten most of the drama around him, and to be fair, most of the scientist monikers are generated by the media. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/masters-2024-bryson-dechambeau-moves-sign-social-media-reaction/ In an otherwise stiff event, I find that this adds to the entertainment. It helps that he's playing well. A few meltdowns out there on Friday. Hovland carded a professional career worst 81, missing the cut with a +8. JT went from Even to +7 on the last four holes.

Tiger played better than I feared, and his body has held up so far. Getting through Thursday and Friday at +1 in these conditions is a great accomplishment. His years of experience has surely helped navigate a windy Augusta. It’s nice to see BDC finally playing well at Augusta. He’s a colorful player that I don’t mind having around.

I would just have someone else instead. How many reasons do I need?

I know they don't with the way they pick the field today, but if they changed it, those players could be replaced by someone else without having to increase the field. It's also because I don't care about watching old champions play the tournament.

Nobody is ruining it, but seeing Sandy Lyle year after year didn't add to the tournament. I'd just like the players in the field to be current professionals. I'd rather have more amateurs or players qualifiying from somewhere else, even if they end up shooting the same score as Lyle did. Maybe it will change as I get older. I started watching golf sometime in the 2000's, so the older champions are not players I've watched in their prime, but I don't feel like watching Singh, Garcia, Reed and Weir either. I'm more focused on the future than the past.

I don't know exactly, but something that adds to the number of players. The chance of anyone added having a chance to win are quite small, but someone just not making it could have a good week, or a few good days. Something more like the other majors and Players. I'd also set a limit on how long the old champions can participate.