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BamaWade

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Everything posted by BamaWade

  1. BamaWade
    If we start getting into multiverse theory, where we're pitting an infinite number of Lexi Thompsons (and maybe throw in ∞Lydia Ko and her ∞caddies³) against an infinite number of fields/courses/conditions, I'm going to have to bow out!
  2. BamaWade
    Dang, I don't watch enough of the tour to have a good grasp at who is best at what, but that Snedeker stat (65th) surprises me. 65th isn't terrible by any means (without looking, guessing that equates to ~70th percentile), but I'd have guessed high...at least top 25. I guess he makes it up a little on the greens (30ish in SG-putting).
  3. BamaWade
    Valid points, and I threw 7600yds. out there as my guess at an average PGA Tour event without searching that one. I may be way off. But I'd stand by my arguments around power, and then women's power relative to their accuracy (in my other reply) to support my argument that it could never happen...my thought there being that the top of LPGA driving distance would have much poorer accuracy than the ~180 ranked driving distance PGA counterparts, which I'd bet, without checking, are near the top in accuracy. (Edit re: average PGA tour course length): Yep...looks like it's closer to 7300 yds.
  4. BamaWade
    This is a good example for your point, IMO, but the problem is that Lexi isn't really 280 and down the middle. She's #117 on the LPGA tour in driving accuracy. However, to your point--at Harbour Town, I think she'd at least climb up from the bottom of the leader board. I'd probably watch with some interest. Even so, I'd think making the cut would require a phenomenal week. Lots of places at Harbour Town where she'd still be hitting driver to hit her landing spot, while the PGA guys would be hitting hybrids/irons, pitting her inaccurate club against their more accurate ones. And though I haven't played HT, I've walked all 18 after-play (as recently as last week) and believe me it requires some major accuracy.
  5. BamaWade
    Yep. I think there shouldn't theoretically be a gender ceiling difference on skill/potential. If there is a statistical gap there (like mentioned in the billiards point - which surprised me) it is due to other factors (availability of facilities/instruction/access to sport. etc.). Nope. Distance/power is a huge advantage, is largely derivative of swing speed, which is largely derivative of core strength size/leverage. I don't think so. But... Not a valid comparison (relative to supporting the point starting the sentence) for a couple of reasons IMO. 1., Lexi is at the top (#3) in distance on the LPGA, and being compared against Snedeker (#169) on men's and Stricker (#173). 2., even though she is close to them in driving distance, I don't think their power would be similar. Course setups on the tour require not only length, but height/stopping ability that is a function of power. While Lexi's distance might get her around a ~7600yd. course, I don't think her power/flight would allow her to attack pins & hold greens. FWIW, I did find the following driver swing speeds (not sure how I'd interpret relative to the above): Lexi: 106mph Brandt: 112mph Steve: 110mph Full/normal PGA tour event? No chance. Some skins, 1-on-1 match deal, or other contrived situation? Sure, on occasion. All just my opinion, and my best off-the-cuff arguments to try and support it.
  6. BamaWade
    Agree with most everyone's analysis of the 10 tips...fluff. Re: AimPoint: I haven't taken an AimPoint clinic as, the few times I've checked, I've not found a scheduled one within a reasonable radius for me to drive. There are 2 instructors ~60-70 miles from me, but I'm not at a point where I want to shell out the $$$ for a private instructor/session on that quite yet. But also... My putting game isn't costing me much relative to my current handicap. In fact, I imagine I likely am a little above average for my index there. It's my long game accuracy that's losing me strokes relative to my index. When (if?) my long game tightens up, or if there was a clinic scheduled within an hour's drive, I'd go. Re: Bermuda grain: I've played all my life (thousands of rounds) on Bermuda here in the deep south. I agree that the grain-influence-on-break spiel you hear from announcers, etc., is indeed largely myth, or at least, very overblown. If there is a noticeable, consistent grained area, it will affect speed, but the effect is marginal. I hardly ever notice it at all, and when I do, it is normally on substantially uphill or downhill putts (and I do make a slight power adjustment to compensate). Of course a smoother/quicker roll in one direction vs. the other would have to affect break to some degree, but I've found it so unnoticeable that I either don't account for it at all, or adjust just a little subconsciously.
  7. BamaWade
    Thanks, Brewbob. We tried the Sea Shack one night mid-week, but the line was too long for us as we had a couple of other things lined up for that night. Got several recommendations for it, though, so it'll be a definite on the next visit. Though we stayed in Sea Pines, I didn't play on the resort. My son and I played Hilton Head National. It was nice, though the greens were still pretty spongy and bumpy from aeration a couple of weeks back.
  8. BamaWade
    See here: Palmetto Dunes Golf Rates Looks like the cheapest you'll get is $80 in the afternoon at the Fazio course. $90 at the Arthur Hills, then $101 at the RTJ. For HHI golf, in general: Hilton Head Island Golf (Be sure to click on See More Hilton Head Island Golf Courses, then Additional Public Courses to get the most comprehensive list). I had Arthur Hills on my list, but I'm also taking my son. He's 21 and wants to play w/me while on vacations, but isn't an avid golfer (and ends up griping about the heat...pshhh...kids....), so I unfortunately shy away from some of the nicer (and expensive) courses. I really want to play Harbour Town since we're staying in Sea Pines, but ~$185 is tough for me to swallow just on my own. Multiply it x 2 to include an occasional golfer who'll only half-enjoy it? Negative.
  9. BamaWade
    (Slaps money on table...) I'm out. Due to our home internet service continuing to be out, I haven't posted practice updates. Could probably do it on phone, but a terrible phone-typer, so...on to next month. I'm still practicing daily, though; seeing how many consecutive days I can get...probably won't post much in the thread, though, to keep the clutter down. Best of luck to the rest of ya. -BW
  10. BamaWade
    So...if the money was on the line, would you guys go with a strong, full swing and wager that you could hit the ~100' wide runway on a line that kept it running? Or more of a punch swing that maybe carries ~100-150yds., but more apt to be on a line down the middle? I think I'd go with the low punch. Assuming a blind contest (don't get to see your buddy's result to beat), as otherwise it'd be an easier choice.
  11. BamaWade
    I'm leaving for HHI this coming Saturday, staying for a week. Seems like several courses there are aerating now. Maybe HHN's will be back in reasonable playing shape come 9-10 days from now when I'd be playing it. Still haven't made up my mind on where we'll play. Planning on 2 rounds. Was hoping HHN, then one TBD...maybe on-island. Last trip ('14) we ate at the Salty Dog (was recommended to us), then, another night, walked to the Harbour Town marina and ate at The Crazy Crab. Of those two, we liked The Crazy Crab best. No other food was memorable, so we'll look around a little more this time around. Would like to find some off-the-path, or non-touristy gems.
  12. BamaWade
    6/11: Internet went down at my home yesterday, and still down, so I didn't get to post last night, though I did practice. I guess that'll need to be my "one day" missing. But my practice session was 35 pitch shots from my 40yd. tees. Whole body was stiff and achy, and never really loosened up despite some stretching--so the session was less than great. But did hole one, and left another less than one foot just past hole. Didn't feel great, though, so no inclination to practice further...went for a walk instead.
  13. BamaWade
    6/10: Hit a round of 16 pitch shots in my yard from my 40yd. tees. Focus was not only inline impact, but also keeping that inline feeling just a little through impact. Result was very nice: 16 out of 16 hit solid and true, with only 1 pulled about 4 yard left, and 1 pushed ~3 yards right. I was pleasantly surprised, given the kinda strong bourbon and coke I had just about an hour prior...I was still buzzin' pretty good. Later tonight, hit a round of 20 foam balls w/my TourStriker p7i off my mat to my target flag. Did a little grip check through the set, and main focus was inline impact via feel of my left shoulder driving down through ball to create lag. Good session. Finished with 3 sets of 20 full swings w/my OW--really going after it, working on keeping form and balance through an intense S&C session. Hope to play tomorrow evening after our family reunion tomorrow, but that may be a pipe dream, as we usually end up at family's house for a while afterwards.
  14. BamaWade
    Yeah, they did this a few years ago at Ol' Colony GC just around the corner from me (U of A's home course) and it was a fantastic move. It's a newer course, so not narrow--and the growth wasn't closing things in--they did it more to thin out the woods just off the fairways and between holes to make them playable, with the added benefit of letting in more sunlight so the grass wouldn't thin near the tree lines. A marshal told me they cut over 3,000 trees. They used the mulch from the trees for landscaping in areas, like pine straw. Little chunks of wood seemed like a terrible thing to me, but they are surprisingly soft and easy to play out of. Pace of play sped up noticeably, and golfers were happier. But I guess I have mixed feelings on this for my home course. They've built some new tees in the last year to stretch it out close to 6800ish, but previously the tips were 6500 or so, and the blue member tees (next set up from the tips) right around 6000. So, with no more real room to expand (being in a developed area), they have to protect par somehow (and boy do they do it around our greens!). And really, on those holes you can see in my pic (3-6), the extra trees give added protection to help keep errant tee shots (like mine) from killing someone a fairway over.
  15. BamaWade
    And now my current club, Indian Hills CC. Another seemingly innocuous par 4 from the picture, but stand on the tees and it's a different story. About 175yds. out from my tees, the fairway narrows through a tree-lined chute under 20yds. wide (see where my Google Earth line measures it at 18.31yds!). It calls for my draw (as the big bushy tree bulges in from the left), but I have to burn the edges of those monster pines on the right. The back tees on this hole (far out of the bottom of the pic...and I don't play them often) are just silly-difficult. Not many players--even the really good ones--get through that narrow chute from that long. They really like to tuck the flag in the far back corner (where I have it marked in red...yes...that extreme, but it's a large green), but that fits my shot shape, and the contours of the green allow a draw into the center to run back left. I really don't score all that badly on this hole. Even when I over draw it, I normally get up over the bushy tree and into the pines down the left side. The pines thin out down there, so I usually have a punch to the front of the green, as there's no further trouble other than the bunkers. But the tee shot has a way of zapping whatever confidence you've built up to that point. Furthermore, this is the one section of the course with several parallel holes--a concept that is most certainly my nemesis--as it gets in my head that you have golfers left and right, with one thin row of pines between you, and very little room for error. Pretty common for older courses in city limits and limited land. Thankfully, it's just holes 3-6, here, then you get your space until the 15th. Next scariest would be 17 and 18, which are bordered for most of their length with million dollar homes closely down the left. Gulp. Plenty of trees planted to protect them, but I still pucker up a bit every time I tee it up there.
  16. BamaWade
    Any hole with a narrow, extended chute of trees to drive through. Two examples to follow. At my previous club (CC of Tuscaloosa, now defunct): Hole 7, Par 4. Can't remember exact yardage but not long...maybe 380ish from the back. However, from the tips (only ~6300 so I played 'em), the very narrow chute of old southern pines stretched out for 150yds+, and even then, didn't open up much. Problematic was that the hole played as a slight, gradual dogleg right. Thus, my push draw (which can use a lot of lateral space!) was a no-go, unless I shaved the pine needles off the right side trees to bend back to the left side of the fairway. Pic below is from green looking back; back tees marked in yellow. What's more, about 100yds. out from the green, a large, old oak tree (not rendered well here in Google Earth) pushed out over roughly 35-40% of the fairway, so really, only a drive to the left half had an open line to the flag, and once again, my big draw can't be done. Split the fairway (which I did rarely), and I'd have a fade over the oak (which I frequently would hit dead straight over the bunker which would bound down OB into the road), or my more frequent play--a low punched 8iron that I'd keep lower than 20', Scottish-style, to hit ~25yds. short and run up onto the smallest green on the course. That little par 4 derailed many of my rounds. Adding insult to injury, lots of the low handicap seniors I played with got to play from tees over the path (100 yds. forward from mine) with very little chute and an easy tee shot. I always grumbled that no single digit capper, regardless of age, needs to be playing tees that make par 4s under 300 yards...especially when the tips were only 6300,
  17. BamaWade
    6/9: Pitching work in the yard. 48 balls from 35yd. "tees" to my flag/hole. Worked solely on getting good lean (inline impact) and using my body to drive the swing. Result was very solid impact, low and spinning, though I hit several a bit long.
  18. BamaWade
    6/8: Got to the club today. 20 mins. range session for warmup, but mainly worked on getting swing grooved back in w/some ball flight feedback Walked 18 holes; worked on not breaking left wrist down (causing my hook). Shot 89, which is okay but a little disappointing based on how I'd been practicing and striking it (up until the last few days anyway), but my full swing game was low-80s...from 80 in and around the greens, just a whole lot of meh.
  19. BamaWade
    6/7: Would've been a magnificent day to play, but wife put me to work on our shop reno (clean-out and demo work today), which will soon be an awesome man-cave, so can't complain. 10 mins. S&C drills w/OW; 4 sets of 20; focused on trying to maintain solid form, but had trouble doing so. Don't know if it was the labor beforehand or what, but balance, plane, and axis all felt loose and generally un-good. Hope to play tomorrow, but will prioritize a serious range session beforehand to try and get things back in order. Sometimes, for me, it just takes the feedback of feeling the strike and seeing the flight to get things back on track.
  20. BamaWade
    6/6: Though I e-like him just fine, I did not copy @roamin today. Rain moved out for us to just sprinkles after 4 or so, so I hit the course... 10 mins. warmup w/OW; focus on getting loose and holding posture and form 10 mins. pitching practice in yard from ~30yds.; focus on driving swing w/body (holed my second shot! but could tell it was going to be hit or miss a bit afterwards) Walked 9 holes at club, playing 2 balls on most holes to get in the most practice. Was off my game, but still scored ~bogey golf. Focus was on trying to get my ish together, which I could only manage to do about half the time. I blame not starting with a range session. That and my shirt felt tight. For real. No more w/that one shirt. Cost me 5 strokes, easy.
  21. BamaWade
    Best chance of recovery is to hang out in the local Golf Galaxy parking lot. Might wanna pack a pistol. Seriously--best of luck to you in recovering your things. Yeah, chances are slim, but you never know. It sucks being burglarized, I know. Hopefully the punks get caught.
  22. BamaWade
    6/5: Copied @roamin without knowing it. Pouring outside most all day, so I putted in the hallway for 10-15mins. Focused on keeping the current stroke grooved, and tempo.
  23. BamaWade
    Well crap. Shows what I know. I know I've hit a true persimmon at some point. Metal heads were becoming more common in the mid 80s when I started playing, but many of my friends and their parents still had older clubs. I remember a couple looking similar to the one in @Hacker James's post. I do know they're Hogan "Lady Princess" clubs (etched in more prominently on the irons), which somehow I never caught any flak for back then. These days...may be a different story!
  24. BamaWade
    I've got a set -- they're the ones I learned on and played with through my tweens into mid-teens. Hogans...still got 'em in my storage room. Always loved the feel of hitting one pure w/one. I have the 1,3,4 & 5 woods. (Same as in pic, though these aren't mine).
  25. BamaWade
    6/4: Lots of spotty rain around (and super muggy air) kep me away from the course, today.... Plenty of short game work around yard, per usual routine; ~10y chips thru 40yd. pitches. Was a little off today, but got it back together towards the end. Was having a little issue with temp, and with my spine angle breaking down so I wasn't rotating around a consistent axis. 10 mins. full swing work w/OW; didn't go at it as hard as I normally do for conditioning...just worked on swing form & tempo. Finished up w/5-7 mins. wall drill work; focus on setting spine angle and rotating around that axis correctly (keeping arse from schrunching up towards ball through impact).
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