roamin

Well, he is the "Wedge Whisperer". I'm sure he's chipping in 4 or 5 of those.

First vlog in a while, footage is from last week. I still need work on the camera placement/angle, but the golf was decent (shot a new personal best: 8 over, 81).

Not sure what hole/area the penalties happened on, but below are stills of two greens from round one coverage on youtube...it's certainly difficult to see a fringe in some areas but in both shots it's clear that there is a fringe, at least in come places. It's seams reasonable for one to assume it goes all the way around the green, no matter what the surface looks like at any particular point. Again, I'd love to see the area in question, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQi9a_H_04Y

Why, though? You were correct in pointing out that par is just a number. In any case, the average par 5 on tour isn't a gimme birdie for anyone, or the scoring averages would be lower (https://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.144.html). So, I see it as actually leveling the playing field a bit. I like the idea of a few holes on the course providing (good) low scoring opportunities to everyone.

Maybe I misunderstood...this is what I was referring to... Cheers!

While a possibility, the clubhead is moving so fast I doubt that what you (think you) see is what's actually happening. Either way, if the ball is slicing, the clubface is open to the path (i.e. your path is 'out to in' relative to the clubface). You could obviously be different, but you sound like me ~6 months ago. I used to swing down on the ball with the driver and had to play the ball in the middle because moving it forward caused slices and sky-balls just like you mentioned. For me, the sky-balls were a result swinging under the ball and hitting it off the top edge of the driver. The two posts below changed everything for me. I now play it forward and tee it high and literally can't remember the last time I had one of those dreaded sky-balls. The slices still happen occasionally, but typically only when I rush the swing or swing too hard. Historically, I've always been a slicer and my friends know this, but just a couple weeks ago, after hitting a big draw off the tee and away from water, a guy we were playing with for the first time remarked, "well that's certainly safe!" and then I heard my buddy say, "oh, he doesn't go right".

No. Learn to hit it. If I could only play with one club and a putter, I'd use my 3- or 4-iron. If I could add a second, it'd be the big dog. Distance is king! FWIW, the link that @DeadMan posted is good one and my go-to when things get out-of-whack with the driver. Don't give up, it's worth the effort.

It's been comical to watch "the kids today" learn how 'sales' and the retail market works and think that they are the first to discover it or that it's even new.

I figured you knew it was coming.

Ahem...

I'm with David on this one as well... if breaking 90 is still a target and you want to shoot lower scores more often, you need to get the ball closer to the hole on your approach shots. IMO, the two big keys here are: 1. Tee Shots (Full Swing) 2. Approach Shots (Full Swing) The ability to scramble is important, but again, this is also helped by improving your full swing as you'll get closer to the green and have shorter short game shots. My current scoring goal is to break 80 and my primary focus is still the full swing. I still practice my short game, but really just to mix it up a bit and not regress. I've noticed improvement in my short game just from playing more. With that said, a few things that save the day for me when my swing isn't working as well as I'd like it to: 1. A low, curving recovery shot to get out from under trees and back to safety while still advancing the ball toward the green 2. The pitch shot (https://thesandtrap.com/forums/topic/39411-quickie-pitching-video-golf-pitch-shot-technique/) 3. Lag Putting YMMV.

This may be my new favorite post.

Oh my goodness, talk about getting my kids hooked on golf! I knew I liked you.

Then what's the point of grilling?? All of this, plus I like using real wood, either mixed in or by itself. I can cook quick with it too, but it's about the experience... ice cold beverages, kids playing in the yard, me pitching plastic golf balls over their heads to my "green" (outdoor carpet with pvc flagstick and a solo cup in the ground ), and a soft plume of sweet smelling smoke in the background, filling the neighborhood and prompting passersby to ask, "What time is dinner?!" The longer that lasts, the better.

A most gracious and benevolent king. You're a class act, sir! ( @JxQx, looks like you'll need to PM your address to @iacas. )

Sorry, guys! Thanks for participating!! Congrats to @Shindig for the Top 10 finish among TST members in the single round challenge! (7th)

Although the GameGolf website still shows "Results Pending", I think it's safe to call it... All hail King Jim and King Erik! Long Live the Kings! Congratulations to @coachjimsc for being the top TST member in each challenge and taking home four of these awesome ball markers! (remember to PM @iacas your address ) King Jim launched his assault early, facing initial resistance, but repeated charges from his rivals were no match for his steady and accurate salvos. After grabbing the top spot in week two, he never looked back. In the individual challenge, King Jim declared his intent to unify the realm but was hit by a piercing blow from King Erik in week three that severed the kingdoms and couldn't be overcome. For the excellence of their feats on the field of honor, King Jim and King Erik, in their merciful wisdom, have granted pardon and elevated to the rank of Knight, all warriors who managed to breach the gates of the city and claim a spot among the Top 5 during the challenge. Three cheers for the Knights of the Top 5 Tables! @b101, @JxQx, @InTheRough, @roamin, @saevel25, @Valleygolfer "Hip, Hip!... Hip, Hip!... Hip, Hip!..." Finally, a big thanks to everyone else who participated in the challenge and put up with my silly posts... @billchao, @ChillyDipper, @cipher, @Denny Bang Bang, @georgep, @Hardspoon, @Slowcelica, Full TST member results in the spoiler... *I think I got all of the TST members, if not, sorry I missed you! :(

6/30: Skins game in the morning. Spent some time doing slow-mo backswings and downswings to warm up, main focus on no sway in the backswing, and paying attention to the feels I had yesterday re: Key #3 on the downswing. Ended with five reps of a slow-mo swing back and down to the ball (impact position), then an easy practice swing, then a smooth swing/shot at a target. June Challenge Complete!

Week Four Results The action dies down a bit as we near the end of our quest and with only one day left, it looks like we may have a new king. The overall leader board is dominated by outsiders with no rightful claim to the throne, but as the smoke starts to clear, we see the gap has narrowed between the two TST titans fighting it out for the crown. @coachjimsc posts another solid round but fails to raise his total, leaving the door open for a Friday afternoon on the golf course to be his undoing. I wonder if @iacas has a tee time scheduled? In the individual round challenge, TST has fared much better and has the enemy flanked on all sides, with @iacas holding the top of the mountain. @coachjimsc and @JxQx brought the heavy artillery and have fought bravely, but pending a gallant and miraculous charge in the final hours of battle, this one looks to be signed and sealed. @iacas isn't eligible to take home the prize in either challenge, so it looks like @coachjimsc may have a few ball markers to spare soon...but there's still time... Highest GIR% Overall - http://www.gamegolf.com/challenges/11194/leaderboardHighest Single Round GIR% - http://www.gamegolf.com/challenges/11195/leaderboard p.s. "cough, cough." I think I feel a cold coming on, may need to take a sick day.

6/29: Walked 9 after work this evening, shot 6 over. Something felt right in my practice swings on the first tee (re: Key #3) and it showed when I tee'd off. Don't know how to describe it but it felt like I could swing away without worrying about casting/clubhead passing my hands early. Not "holding lag" per se, just no force/feeling of the wrists unhinging until really late (and not much, anyway). Launched a high, tight draw right down the middle and did the same on the next three holes as well. Ended up with 5/7 drives being near perfect, 1 unlucky, and 1 'meh'. Good feeling throughout the round, not quite the same with the irons, but similar. Hit some really nice shots, including a tee'd up 6-iron from 155yds to about 6 feet - one bounce and stop.

Funny, but no. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but... except realizing that there is no 'aha' moment... there is no 'aha' moment.

6/28: Front yard with sand wedge and plastic balls again. Weird feels lately, can't seem to get really comfortable/confident with a swing. I've tried to ignore the urge to play around and have stuck to simple slow-mo drills and focus on hip-turn/no sway, but it's a bit annoying. With all the rain, I've gone from playing 2-3 rounds per week to 9-18 holes per week, so I'm not swinging a club as much as I normally do. It's driving me crazy.

6/27: 15 minutes outside with sand wedge and plastic balls. 5-10 minutes of a couple slow-motion swings followed by a full show, focus during slow-mo work was no sway on the backswing and weight-transfer on the downswing, down to about A2 and pausing for a sec, then finishing at a full extension (A7.5?). Then hit about 20 shots, just working on aim/setup and slowing tempo down a bit.