billm408

It's been quite a few years since I was giving strokes back to the course, but... 1. I practiced daily- usually an early am 9 before work, large bucket at lunch and then 2+ hours of range time in the evenings 3-4 days a week. 2. Distance was never the objective. 3. I had a swing coach that I saw for a lesson once a month although he taught at the course near my office and we'd do quick checks on things probably once a week. 4. Took me about a year of dedicated work to get from single digits to a +. 5. I don't maintain that kind of number. Takes time and dedication that I don't put into the game anymore. Now I play for fun and am happy getting around in the 70's. 6. Biggest change in my game during that time was my short game. The objective was always to get down in 2 from 120 yards and hole out anything greenside. 7. Least important for me was distance. Didn't care then and don't now. Controlling distance is way more critical than how far IME. Good luck- Just a side FWIW... during that time I played golf with some guys that were banging around on the Nike tour and the Q-school tour. They didn't hit the ball any better than a 5 hcpr, but they got up & down from anywhere! I asked Eteban Toledo once what was the difference between the Nike tour and PGA and he said "one putt every day". Two years ago I got to play a round with Matt Kucher in Monterey. I was with him all day tee to green. He shot a 67, I shot a 77. I don't think he missed a putt inside of 7 feet all day.

About 20 years ago. I played with a friend who was taking his older brother out for his first ever round of golf. Never had a lesson, never been to the range but was a pretty decent athlete. We went to a local exec course. First hole's a 145 yard straight away par 3. I hit up on the green, my buddy follows and we're offering some advice to the brother. He swings out of his shoes and skulls a 5 iron that runs all the way up onto the green and drops! He looks at us and say "stupid game". Drops the club and walks off the course. Hasn't picked up a club since. Although the most incredible thing I ever saw wasn't a golf shot. HS team was playing a practice round at a muni near an airforce base and two planes collided mid air and crashed on the course. We were about 3 holes behind the crash scene at the time and saw it like in slow motion. No golfers were injured, but both pilots died. A real tragedy and I can still hear the sound like it was yesterday. http://www.vpnavy.org/vp47mem_20nov2000.html

It's been a number of years since I've played competetively, but I always used a caddy. One of my best friends and regular golfing buddy was a caddy at Cypress Point for 15 years. He knew my game, knew the courses and probably saved me 1-2 shots per side on average. I can't say that a cart has ever helped my game!

I've had that same round only once before, but it was frustrating. Struck the ball well, hit every fairway and 17 greens but couldn't get a putt to drop. Looked pretty on the scorecard, but still...

Player A wins on the first playoff hole. Once player B signed the scorecard it was done. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. Ask Roberto De Vincenzo.

Played the TPC San Francisco Bay yesterday (actually TPC Hayward). Nice course, great views from the hills, fantastic greens- not particularly fast, but long. The ball rolls out. This was my first round out after tweaking my back three weeks ago. Shot a nice easy 78 with a couple of birdies and and bunch of bogies- kinda sprayed the driver, but overall I was happy with my game.

Your torso is too upright. You can check this w/o a club. With knees just slightly flexed, bend at the hips (ie, push your ass out) and let your arms hang straight down. Your hands should be over or even slightly past your toe line.

Just starting with set up... Not much upper body tilt- You should be bent more at the hips. Really strong grip (at least appears so)- Get your right hand more on top of the club.

When I hear "classic swing" I usually think of those players that incororporate the components of the modern swing ideal with a fluid motion. Byron Nelson, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Purtzer, Steve Elkington, Ernie Els, etc...all have "textbook" swings.

^ Agree. Also think quiter hands. Less wrist cock, more shoulders will bring ball flight down.

Controlled hook is an oxymoron.

That's kind of my approach to long greenside bunker shots or fired egg lie- ball slightly back, square clubface. But I have more control with a higher ball flight and a lot of spin for a normal greenside bunker shot.

+1. Heroics are not necessary. You're already up 4, let the other guy make mistakes.

+1. Learn to play A, G, D and you've got about 90% of AC/DC tunes!

It's just as addictive as golf. I started 6 years ago with kind of the same objectives as you... play just for fun, no intention of getting real good. Well I still play just for fun except now I'm in 2 bands and have probably 25K invested in guitars, amps and assorted gear.

I've played right after a tour event (Spyglass and Poppy Hills) but never before. What surprised me most was how hard and fast everything was. Easily an extra 20 yards off the tee with the dried out landing areas and the greens were brutal. Even after a good soaking. But I've played La Purisma in Lompoc and Fort Ord in Monterey right before Q school sectionals. All tough tracks but they didn't have them tricked up at all.

Best answer so far! If you insist on hitting driver that is. For me? Long irons are your friend.

Old age mostly. I've got lower back problems that flair up once in a while and, after three surgeries, no more carteladge in my left knee. All due to skiing incidents. Then the great pumpkin carving incident of 2004 (as it's now referred to at home) caused nerve damage in my left hand which has created some adjustments. All in all... nothing that I can't work around.

Best round was a day at Spyglass 10 years ago with my regular group. Struck the ball solid all day and putted well. Cleaned the table on the bets too which just made it that much better. I've had lower scores, but this was just a memorable day on all counts. Score 68 Blue Rating: 75.5/Slope 147; Yardage - 6,953 Had a day at Poppy Hills last year where I hit 14 fairways and all 18 greens and shot 72, but that was frustrating because I couldn't get a putt to drop.

Well... sideways angle aside- you're over- rotating your shoulders on the downswing. When I stop the vid at impact, your shoulders are open and there's very little hip rotatation. Try this drill... Take your address position and hold a club across your shoulders. Note where the club is aimed at address. Take a mock swing and stop at impact. At impact position, your weight should be on your left side, hips should be clearing to the left and shoulders should be square. The club should be pointing at it's original starting position but slightly up from shoulder tilt. Good luck. And the other observations are correct....your club is completely open at the top of your swing too

You're up Good 3 Nice save Free drinks On me the list goes on...

I've never worn a glove. I have a pair of rain gloves and had to use them once, but otherwise they're too uncomfortable for me. Just what you're used to I guess. I've never had issues with blisters or clubs slipping, etc... and I used to be a fairly serious range rat (100-200 balls a day).

Bermuda's just different. It grows like a vine so there's a deep grain that can really effect putts and can be difficult in the rough. The ball sits up nice on it though and it makes a great fairway (not unlike Zoysia). But it also goes dormant in the winter so most courses over seed with another grass in the winter. Popular in humid climates.

Yup. Pebble, Spyglass, Cypress, Torrey Pines, Olympic Club... you name it on the west coast and it's got Poa greens. A lot of greenskeepers fight it, but it's a losing battle for the most part. It's stronger and heartier than bent. And it gets tracked course to course on shoes, clubs, bags, etc...

Out here in CA fairways/tess are mostly fescue & rye. A lot of courses start out with bent greens (some are successful keeping it), but most of the greens are poa annua. Once it gets on a course, it will take over a bent grass green in just a few months. Actually not a bad surface if you keep it groomed tight, but it grows fast and uneven and forms buds which makes it bumpy-especially in the afternoons. Rub-o-the green.