Grinde6

I am playing in a 54 hole Pro/Am this weekend. Practice round tomorrow followed by guaranteed 18 holes Friday and Saturday and if I make the cut, 18 more Sunday. It is a blast playing a weekend tournament like this and I wish their were more in the area.

We have an "all-city" tournament which was this past weekend. 18 holes at the Arnold Palmer designed Kings Walk and 18 holes at the Country Club. There are the same types of flights by handicap, and a senior flight too. For the championship flight they cut after 18 holes in which those players' scores reset and they are in the Presidents flight. Same type of thing, just less holes and less people.

He also has the 4th fewest attempts out of anyone on that list at 46 from that distance. I agree this is a pretty bad stat on his part, but he did go from 999 to 202 in a week...so things are looking up I would say. He ranks 5th from approaches >200 yards too. I think its crazy to think that neither will win another major, but I have seen crazier things happen.

He birdied 18 no? And getting 3/5 points at the Ryder Cup is pretty good...I think he had to play pretty decent all year to be in the running for the FedEx cup to eventually win it too didn't he?

Hahahahah...our club is too cheap for hardware...kinda sad really. I didn't find out until midway through my round today that we were playing for $60 or $40 in club credit. It was still fun though.

Played the championship match in our club match play tournament. Won 2&1 shooting even par overall. Even par was a great score, but didn't play my best...was kind of scrambling all round. A win is a win though and I will take it!

That's another one of the old sayings...Google it, its all over the place..maybe its not THAT old, but you will be able to find it. I agree on calories consumed vs. calories burned, but the less calories you consume (lifestyle/diet) the less you will need to burn, hence diet is more important than exercise, or diet dictates how much you will need to workout...

Exercise is important for sure, but diet is where a persons weight loss should come from. Its the old saying, weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. You can exercise like crazy, but unless your diet is under control, you might not lose any weight/fat.

Swing Change: I have just been focusing a lot on keeping my head steady and rotating the hips. Following through has been a big issue of mine in the past as I tend to get lazy I guess and just stop my follow through not long after impact. Being conscious of those two things has really helped the scores this year. Decision Making: Being smarter with my shots. Not going for every pin as I have done in the past. My putting is at a point that I feel confident in 2 putting from anywhere on the green. I still occasionally have a 3 putt, but that is once every few rounds and is directly attributed to not placing the ball where I intended. Going for par 5s in 2 more often. If I feel the shot I am about to hit is playing anywhere 250 and in I am going for it. If not, lately with how dry the courses are, I am laying up to a number around 90-120, but I am looking to change that up to getting as close to the hole as possible where I can still control a chip shot. Equipment: Switched from my Nike VR Pro Blades to Mizuno JPX-850 forged irons. This has been a huge change for me in a positive way. I am hitting my irons 10-15 yards longer that with my previous set which is never a bad thing. I have more control over them I feel as well, playing a nice 5 yard draw. I switched from my Nike Method putter to a Scotty Cameron. This has also been a huge improvement for me. I never thought a putter could make such a difference, but the way I have been putting lately and the confidence I have with that club is excellent. I also switched from the Nike RZN Black and Pro V1x balls to the Vice Pro Plus. I'm not entirely sure if my better play is attributable to the ball switch or club switch, but I tested the Nike, Titleist and Vice side by side with all the clubs in the bag, and I felt that Vice either outperformed, or was too close to justify paying more for a ball that I was getting the same results with. Great thread BTW.

Played today and shot a 71 (-2). 1 birdie and 2 bogeys on the front side, for a 38 (+1), which included a 3 putt on the par 5 7th hole (downhill sidehill first putt). Also bogeyed the next hole which is a par 3...went over the green which slopes back to front and my chip hit the pin and rolled 5 feet by...missed the comeback putt. Shot a 33 (-3) on the back with a clean card 3 birdies. Was my 2nd best round on the back 9 as a couple weeks ago I shot a -4. One of my better ball striking rounds though..58% fairways hit, 72% GIR, 1.61 putts per hole. I am happy with the way my game is progressing that is for sure.

Huh? Take what bet? That 90-120 is a comfortable distance for me where I can control the spin better than a 50-70 yard shot? I read LSW and I do understand that the closer you are to the green the better your chance at a better score and when the conditions/greens are receptive I do this every time. The only issue with that is here in ND our courses are dry...our greens are watered just enough so that they don't turn brown...so it is very hard to get a 50-70 yard shot to stop...I know that if I am 90-120 out its a 60*-56* and I can hit it high and let it bounce and roll out 5' or so. Beginning of the year or when the greens are more receptive, yes I will hit the 50-70 all day, but for the most part in ND its too dry to hit a 50 yard pitch 30 yards and let it roll out 20 yards or so (exaggerating a bit).

Played my first match in our Match Play Club Championship last week (finally). Was a nightmare trying to find a time when both of us could play. Played like absolute crap on the front 9, started out with a double bogey from 93 yards out (3 putt). Made a 35' putt from about 3 feet off the green on 2 for a birdie to pull back even. I bogeyed all the par 5s on the front (3 of them, par 37). Driver being wayward lent a hand in that. Finished the front +3-40 and was 1 up. Played a bit better on the back, but it didn't help I started out with a bogey and he birdied to pull even. Bogeyed the 11th and he doubled (both of us from the sand with less than 1" of actual sand to hit from). I won 12 to go 2up, tied 13, I won 14 with a birdie to go 3 up and won 15 with a par to close out the match 4&3. Was +4 thru 15 holes. Semi-final match will be played this Thursday against a very good player that carries a +0.7 handicap. Will need to tighten up the game a bit to have a chance at that one.

The only time I play to a certain distance is on a par 5 when I am not going for the green. I will then lay up to a comfortable distance, usually anywhere 90-120 yards. I don't mind being closer, and if the conditions (softer greens) are right I will lay up closer in the 50-70 yard range. The reason I don't like laying up to the 50-70 yard range every time is that sometimes the greens aren't as receptive on those short shots and don't spin as much. I know in the 90-120 range I can usually control the spin.

But 30 yards is 2 and maybe even 3 clubs difference...how far do you hit your irons? How many club difference for you is 30 yards?

I agree with what others have said....learn to hit the driver. You are leaving yards out there by not being able to hit your driver. Whether it be overswinging, mental block or something like that, you should figure it out to round out your game. You are leaving easily 20-30 yards out there every tee shot by not hitting driver. Are you using a 13* hybrid to be hitting it 230-250??? And what wedge are you hitting 150-180??? I would much rather be 120-150 out than 150-180 out and that is what you are doing by not hitting your driver, probably leaving a few strokes out there too..

I like how a lot of people on this post are saying they wish they had their Mizuno irons still. I picked up a set of the JPX-850 forged irons at the beginning of the year and the feel, distance and everything about them is AMAZING. The irons I wish I would have kept would be my TW Nike blades. I loved those irons, but got rid of them because the grooves weren't conforming. Those things produced so much spin, it was nothing to spin them back 10-20 feet or more. I sold them to a buddy of mine about 4-5 years ago for $350 and he has since moved on to a new set so he asked me if I wanted them back. He agreed to sell them back to me for $100 which is awesome. I think I am going to take them out to the course just to see how they perform.

First off...don't quit. You're putting too much pressure on yourself if you are thinking about quitting. Your expectations are probably too high as a 10 handicap if you are wanting to quit. 3 putting from 45-60 feet is not all that uncommon for a lot of people. It would take a lot of pressure off your putting game if you work on your approach shots at the range a bit. What is your normal yardage left to the hole (range)? Figure that out and work on those distances and getting more accurate with those shots. 45-60 feet away from the pin on 100-160 yard shots is a long ways...practice those yardages and don't forget to practice putting as well. Maybe have the Club Pro take a look at your putting stroke quick and see if he can pick up on anything you might be doing wrong.

Starting our Club Championship Match Play tournament today. We have a week to find a time that works for both of us to play, and tonight is the night we picked for our match. Forecast is for 90* and 3-5mph winds, so its going to be hot and sticky. The guy I am playing is a solid player, 2.3 handicap, so it should be a good match. He and another guy jumped on with our group during men's league on Tuesday and played 11, 12, 13 with us where he went bogey, bogey, bogey and I went par, birdie, par...so hopefully that's an indication of how the match will go. Just need to get up on him early and stay on the gas with smart plays...I am a longer hitter than he is, so he should be hitting his 2nd shot before I do most times so that should be a bit of an advantage.

I usually shoot for 71-72. I play at a par 73 course so 1-2 under is the goal every time. My last few rounds have seen anything from a 70-77...but 71-72 is always the goal.

I haven't played the Pro Soft, I do however play the Vice Pro Plus now. I came from playing the Nike RZN Black and Pro V1x and I believe the Pro Plus is just as long, if not longer and has more spin around the greens than the Black or the V1x. I don't really get into the colored balls for myself, but they do look pretty cool. For the price and the durability/playability, you can't go wrong with the Vice golf balls.

I am lined up in the middle, club is grounded and I am the same with ball height. I tee it up pretty high as it is a reminder to swing up at the ball...and an even bigger reminder that I didn't if I forget to swing up, as it is a pop fly...but that is pretty uncommon for me now.

Phil Mickelson did it at Merion... ...but you need to practice your weakness(es)...I agree that he should get a lesson or two so he can become aware of what he needs to do to correct the issue, but in the meantime, practicing the driver with different ball positions, grips, etc will help as well.

The easiest answer to this is to get a lesson. It should not only help you with your driver, but also with your irons/approach shots too. A quick 30 minute lesson could potentially turn your weakness of a driver into your strength to where you wont even have to strategize like this. Now it might take a couple lessons as well, but it is worth it. I would keep using those clubs though, as not using them isn't helping you become better with them...go to the range with just your driver and see if there is anything you can change to make the flight better...ball position, how far away from the ball you are standing, aiming point, grip...all things to check and tweak until you can at least come up with a "go-to swing".

People are skeptical because of this...not only are your distances PGA Tour type distances, but you say you "can hit with accuracy and incredible height". If you hit your clubs these distances and "with accuracy" you should not be shooting 85-87. My PW-7i distances are about the same, 6i-3W is a bit shorter, and Driver is about 294 according to Arccos, but I am also a 1 handicap and am not out there shooting 85-87. Create a thread in the "Members Swings" and that should clear up some cloudiness to the distance claim. Unless you 3 putt every hole and chip it around the greens a couple times each hole, those distances and "accuracy" should not yield 85-87 scores.

League night last year, we were playing a team that insisted we play from the whites so we obliged. We were playing match play and I closed my guy out in 5 holes...here's why. I started birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie to go -6 thru 5 holes...was one of those days where everything was on and was hitting wedges to a couple feet and making putts. The eagle I had was a 30 footer but was a pretty straight putt. I was pretty upset when the rain poured on us to keep me from finishing the round. That was one of the last times I played the white tees too.