Austin_Sachs

First day in the 80s and shot 1 over, 35. Hit 6 of 9 greens in regulation with 2 of 7 fairways (misses were in the right places). On the only par 5 on the front hit my best drive of the day and then nearly drove the green in two, but got up and down for birdie. Now to translate this play to competition.

I would completely agree with this idea, I notice in times when all I do is play my game becomes stagnant or worse. By adding in a couple of practice sessions instead of playing, you save money and can improve your game. Just make sure to not overwork you body because I have done that too many times and it is hurting me now (injured twice before April).

Within the last year I changed where I wore my golf shoes. I used to just wear tennis shoes to the range because it was easier. But as of late whether I'm playing 18, going through a full practice session, or just putting for a half hour I will wear my shoes because as I believe practice like you play. Since you will play in your cleats, why not practice in them.

Went out yesterday and played 9 and shot 38 (4 over). The big issue right now is tempo, but some of that should fix itself as my back heals from a lower trap strain.

Shot 2 over 36 today, while hitting 4 of 9 greens and 3 of 6 fairways. Winds were around 20-30 mph so that was getting in my head, but my putting and short game keep bailing me out. Nearly aced the first par 3 of the day!

While using only one club around the green would be a waste because you have 13 other clubs to help you. I usually use a 60 degree, but only when I'm within 30 feet or need to hit it high and soft. I will use my 52 degree on longer shots with more green to use and my 56 for bunkers and shots I need more spin on.

This questions always baffles me, as I work at a golf course, what time do you prefer to play? It seems that people are always playing mid-afternoon when the rates are the highest and out mornings seem to always be the quietest, but there are days where it is flipped. I prefer playing the in the morning mainly because the rounds are faster and its cooler. Just wanted to see everyone's preferred time because I feel like people would prefer mornings, but they seemingly don't.

Shot 2 over 38 today on what was a very soggy course after a downpour yesterday, coupled with temperatures in the high 30s, winds in the 20 mphs and flurries for most of the round. Wasn't very happy with my ball striking or driving, but was putting and chipping well.

Other than the fact that this is an impossible green to play unless you hole your shot, I would hit a cut to the pin so the chances are higher that my uphill putt will be shorter.

I would go with the 58, because my half swing of my 56 is around 70-75 yards normally. I would either go with a Titleist Vokey, Mizuno MP-T5 or Cleveland 588 because those three companies are iron and wage companies, at least somewhat.

When marking for tournaments, I put two orange dots below the number. When practicing I tend not to mark, but might change that this year to help practice like you compete.

My home course, Dauphin Highlands, is a long course measuring around 7100 from the tips, but does not provide much threat of off-line tee shots and therefore can be easy for a bomber.

I currently use the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour, but will be switching soon to a Titleist 915 H. The main use for it is short par fours that are tight and long par 3s.

What I have learned as I have improved and keep reading about in Bob Rotella's books is that the best way to shoot the score of your life is to focus on practicing the short game, but mostly developing confidence in your putting. Since most of our strokes consist of the short game, by getting just a percentage better there it will translate to more overall success than anywhere else.

I have all my scorecards collected from the courses I have played and recently I have taken up collecting golf balls of the collegiate teams I compete against.

A big thing I have learned about first tee nerves is to enjoy them and use them to your advantage. If you try to lose them, I guarantee you will not like the results. For me it made me lose some of my love for the game and competing. The best players in the world get nervous because they care about what happens, so learn to embrace the nerves.

Don't worry about the score, in high school I cared too much about what I shot and it ballooned my scores and hurt my mood. Its great that you want to play competitively and always set your goals based on your past, not those around you.

My goals are rather complex, but overall I feel this is the year I can finally win some mid level amateur tournaments and bring my handicap down to scratch. I am practicing more, finally seeing a swing coach (first time in 10 years), and reading a lot about the mental game in order to achieve these goals.

I try to not keep score once and while when I play because it reminds how much fun the game is. This is especially important for me because since I am practicing around 20-40 hours a week, remembering that this game is not about results and more about the experience is important to not burn out.

My advice to avoid blow up holes comes from Bob Rotella's book Golf is Not a Game of Perfect. it is to have a conversative strategy and cocky swing. Therefore you should have planned out how you will come back from a bad swing, without creating a blow up hole. This way when things do not go the way you want them to, you have plan ready to fix it.

A great place to find the most competitive amateur tournaments in the country, and I mean the best since most of them are invitationals, but some are not is http://www.scratchplayers.org/USA.calendar.html. I don't know if these are the right strength for you, but when I plan my upper level tournaments for the summer this is where I go. Hopefully this helps and if you want more information, just contact me! -Austin Sachs