Kalnoky

I vote overrated too. I used to worry a lot about "consistency", but I've come around. A bad golf swing needs complex timing to work. So it's nearly impossible to ever be "consistent" with a bad swing. I see that now.

"There are no pictures on the scorecard"

I didn't get to play or practice much this year and when I did I barely broke 100. It was so frustrating I thought about quitting, but I kept going for the exercise. I think golf is great exercise. I played with a guy last year who was probably a 7 or so, anyway, he told me the lows in this game are pretty low, but you just have to ride them out. Eventually you find your stroke again.

My experience only, but lake balls are 3-5% shorter than new balls. Range balls are about 5-10% loss of distance vs. new balls, depending on how worn the range balls are. Also, if you have too much sidespin from using a 3-pcs or 4-pcs new ball, you will lose a lot of distance. Choosing the right ball for your skill level matters a lot.

Phil Knight Marcus Mariotta Ashton Eaton Bill Walton Steve Prefontaine

#11 is why I never capture half of the knowledge from my lessons. As anyone who's ever had a misunderstanding with their significant other knows full well, different words can mean different things to different people. They forgot to add #12: You are not a student or a retired person, who plays golf every day. They also forgot to add #13: Temperament. A lot of people are naturally anxious and they get nervy or upset on the golf course. Once you tense up, and you can't play to your ability anymore.

It is not a conscious act for me, it just happens naturally as a result of my swing. I don't take a deep divot, just a little streak. The only time I don't take a divot is if I stand up out of my posture and hit the club thin or on the toe, which I can feel by the vibration in my hands.. IME if you try and force the divot you'll wind up hitting the ball fat every time and driving yourself crazy. So my advice is don't think about it.

@mcanadiens I'm in the same boat as you score wise. I've only been playing 3-4 years now, but I'm stuck. The only thing that has improved is I'm hitting the ball farther.

Okay, I'll bite. So, what if I strike my approach poorly and I miss the green but I chip in for birdie? And on the next hole, I hit a beautiful draw that lands on the green and and I 2-putt for par? Which hole is better? Obviously, the ideal is to land on the green and make birdie.. But I would say the process of hitting FIR/GIR/and 2-putt is more satisfying than a lucky birdie.

MLB would benefit from this too. Re: 12 hole golf, I think that would be perfect. 9 is not nearly satisfying enough, but I rarely have time for 18.

I am between purple and white, except for the short irons, I am between purple and red. When my lower back gets tired the scale starts sliding <----- I'd say it's pretty accurate

I have a friend who's a nurse, and she's been investing in pharma companies that treat diabetes. She sees the health trends firsthand every day. I see very few kids playing, most beginners are in their late 20's early 30's (and some older). I was watching a golf clinic at the range yesterday and nobody was college age or younger.

You're lucky you figured it out on your own while there is still some summer left. I had to take a lesson yesterday to get straightened out.

Haven't played or practiced in weeks, shot 103 with 5 pars, 4 GIR, and one (1) sand save. The score was super bad but I kept pace and hit some very nice shots, and mostly lost strokes in stupid areas that are easily fixed. So, I'm not angry at all, and in fact I'm going to rededicate myself and try to salvage September before the rains return.

Also no longer buying used balls. The last batch I got ("5A") had a very noticeable loss of distance on all clubs compared to brand new balls of the same make and model. I tested them side by side during a practice round. Not worth saving $10 on balls when I'm already paying a green fee which is much more expensive than that.

I tried this for a while and I did make consistent contact, but I couldn't get enough distance. I need to have an easy short iron into the green from about 140 out, or else I really have no chance of scoring.

Some simpletons all they do is talk about how far they hit it, which doesn't bother me too much, except for I find this type of conversation kind of dull. However, I generally do believe people when they say they hit it "300 yards".. because everyone gets lucky once in a while and even I've hit some incredible shots nobody who wasn't there would believe. Doesn't mean I can duplicate it on a regular basis.

This would have been a tidy project for a business student. If you ask me it's the cost of technology, and marketing tacked on to the clubs. My dad says the same things about cars... "I remember when you used to be able to order a brand new Corvette for...."

Tell them to come play with me instead. Seems like everyone I play with a single-digit 'capper and they kick my buns all the way around the course. Might be nice to win once in a while.

Start with a soft 2-pcs ball, they are cheaper and usually go farther, at the expense of less greenside spin..

I did it and it was money well spent. I used to pull my irons and after the fitting my irons started going straight (as long as I do my part). I think it's piece of mind, so you know your equipment isn't part of the problem. I'm not personally scoring any better because I have not been able to play or practice this year. But I know my clubs have nothing to do with that.

^^^ Excellent assessment, agree 100% And all of those things mess up your rhythm and lets your big muscles get cold. Which hurts beginners more than seasoned players. I started carrying an orange whip so I could stay loose while watching groups ahead of me look for balls. Anytime somebody waves me through, whether standing on the green or on the fairway, the thought of hitting them causes me to duff, slice, or pull my shot. Please just wait at the tee box. Have a seat on the bench, open a snack or have a cigarette. I don't even care if you make jokes ("show us how it's done, bud!") just don't stand where I could potentially hit you. People who've been playing for 30 years are pretty much automatic and just don't care about any of this stuff, but for guys like us it can really make it hard to learn the game and enjoy playing.

I was 2 holes behind a group of 19-20 year old college kids and one of them flew the green on a short par 4 coming back towards me (275-ish to the green). His ball landed on the 2nd tee box, which I had just hit from, probably right around 300 yards total distance. He couldn't believe it when I pointed to it. These guys were not "good" golfers by any stretch. There's a lot to be said for being young and limber.

If you are shanking shots, maybe too much weight forward on the balls of your feet? Just an idea.

I think this ^^^ is true. Minor variations in your swing will bear out during a round. I also think this is more apparent when you play 18 vs. 9. Are you getting in your head too much on the tee?