ChevDog

I track every round on Golfshot. From my last 20 rounds:Fairways hit = 41%, GIR= 9%, 1.86 putts per hole, 2.6 putts per GIR, 0% Eagles, 1% Birdies, 11% Par, 36% Bogey, 51% 2 Bogey+. When I have compared these stats to those I have seen online (TST forums) for various handicaps, it appears that I'm doing better than my handicap would predict for putting, but that I need to hit more GIR, which also requires that I hit more fairways. Shelving the driver last night gave me 7 fairways, 3 GIR, and 4 Pars, for a gross 92/Net 64. All of my stats last night ended up better than my averages, except for putting - which was off a bit as the greens had significantly dried and got much faster than I have been used to. Got my putting figured out later in the round. I also used my GPS to track a few shots, and I am only giving up 10-20 yards by using 3 wood instead of driver. From my shot tracking with driver, I have only been averaging 218 yds, and that is only based on good shots that hit the fairway. I don't bother tracking anything that misses the fairway. 3 wood is averaging about 205, and I had a second shot last night off the deck that went 251 (gps verified). Last night was obviously a small sample size. I will need to play more rounds without the driver to see if my stats hold up. In the meantime, I intend to leave the driver in my car, and just work with it on the range until I have the confidence to bring it back into play. I have inquired with a local shop about a driver fitting as well.

Last night, I decided to see just how much my driver was hurting my game. Played 18 using my 3 wood in place of the driver. Hit more fairways, and managed to post my lowest score ever to GHIN (I have only had one round lower, and it was after posting closed here last winter). Looks like some driver lessons and a fitting may be in order. At least I know I can put up a decent score wityhout the driver until I can get it figured out!

I did adjust the swingweight of my driver when I cut it down. Added weight to the head. I did not take it all the way back to D3, which is where it was stock. It is probably about a C8 now - I like a lighter swingweight on my driver, it just feels better to me. My previous driver was even lighter. I also went to an A flex shaft to try and get the flex closer to R after being shortened. I tried both shafts back to back and I definitely hit the new one better. Moxley may be on to something with regard to balls. The range that I was at had very worn Srixon limited flight balls. Probably no spin left in them. Interesting ball flight with those. When I absolutely striped one, it would scream out to about 200yds, then drop like a stone. Looked like it hit an aerodynamic wall. When I hit a similar shot on the course on Saturday with a project (a), it went much further.

I play most of my rounds at Quail Valley - it's a 5 minute drive from my house. I also get in a number of rounds at The Reserve, Pumpkin, Broadmoor, and Tri-Mountain. During the summer we play quite a few rounds at Black Butte. Eastmoreland is only a few minutes from my office, so it is where I have been hitting balls at lunch.

Interesting theory - I will give this a try at my next range session. I don't normally hit so many with one club, but it is currently the one giving me the most trouble, so I assumed that it would be a good idea to hit it over and over until I had grooved a decent swing with it.

I have been taking my notes from my instructor to the range with me and working on the tips that he gave me last summer when I was working on the driver. So I'm not just pounding balls. I perform my pre-shot routine every time, settle on my one swing thought for that stroke, and then swing. If I have a bad shot - I try to analyze what caused it, and then correct it on the next swing. My typical miss is not the big pull that I had this weekend. It's normally a slice. I think that the work I did last week may have changed that to the pull I was seeing on Saturday. The biggest problem I have in my game right now is having too tight of a grip, and then over swinging. Of course this his the most impact with the driver. I have a very competitive personality, and really tense up sometimes during a game. My best round ever was last December when I played a solo round and kept my grip light and my swing easy. Broke 90 for the first and only time. In fact, I think that all of my best scores have been while playing alone. I haven't been able to replicate that feel and tempo since. I see that you are a fellow Portlander! What courses do you usually play around here?

I'm relatively new to golf - been playing seriously for about a year now. My handicap has dropped from 36.4 - to 26.8, and it looks like I may get it into the 25's by the next revision. My typical scores are right around 100. A few pars, some bogies, and a lot of doubles with a few triples. Took lessons last summer and played 62 rounds last year to get where I am now. I am gaming a 2017 M2 driver. My total lack of consistency with this club led me to cutting it down to three wood length (43") in an effort to find more fairways. From going over my stats, the biggest area for improvement in my current game is hitting the fairway. When I do this, I can score well (for me). When I miss the fairway, it usually puts me in enough trouble that I don't even have a decent shot at bogie (which I would be perfectly content with). Yesterday my driving was so bad that I put away the driver at #8 and just used my 3 wood. Shot a respectable 48 on the back. What is concerning/confusing me is that I can hit the driver on the range, but not on the course. After cutting it down last week, I took it to the range at lunch on Thu and Fri and hit 100 balls with it each day. Played around with the loft and lie angles until I was getting pretty consistent drives down the middle. Went to the course on Sat, and hit dead pulls left on 50% of my drives. Do any of you have tips on how to bring your range swing to the course? I'm willing to take more lessons, but I'm worried that I still wont be able to hit it straight when it matters.

Played Cimarron in Palm Springs last Monday. On 15, I dribbled my drive just past the red tees and to the left - lost in the tall grass with the snakes. Since there was no chance of finding it, I was forced to take a drop and a penalty where it crossed into the hazard. I am now about 195 yds from the pin - hitting (my third shot) into the wind on a par 4. Made perfect contact with my M2 3 wood on an uphill lie from the rough, and sent the ball sailing right at the flag. My brother in law shouted "where the hell did that come from?! (because at this point I usually get too pissed to execute to decent follow up shot). The ball hit the green and rolled to about 12 feet behind the flag. Drained the putt to make par - and get the skin!

Another 98 yesterday at Escena in Palm Springs. Net 68, so i’m Still working on bringing that handicap down! Looking forward to another great game this morning at Indian Canyon.

98 yesterday at Cimmaron in Palm Springs. My last few rounds prior to this have been horrible. Finally figured out that I had been over swinging the club with a death grip. Hopefully I’m back on track now!

36.4 down to 27.9. Hoping to make it into the 'teens this year!

Had an absolutely horrendous weekend. Shot 107 (net even) on Saturday, and 111 (net +5) on Sunday. Both courses were more difficult than my usual tracks, but I just completely lost my swing. Over 36 holes, I had 1 GIR, and only hit 3 fairways. I couldn't even putt - I normally have 32-33 putts, and was at 40 on Sunday. Just completely fell apart. Don't know why the wheels fell off, but I need to get it together in the next two weeks so that I don't play like this in Palm Springs.

102 (-3 net) on Saturday and 97 (-6 net) on Sunday. Maybe I'll be able to get my handicap headed downward this spring...

#1 - learn to control my emotions - i.e. stop getting mad when I make a bad shot or have a bad hole. I'm not good enough to get mad about this. #2 - Get my handicap down to around 15-17. I dropped it from 36.4 to 29.1 between June and November last year. Kept playing all winter up here where we can't record scores Dec-Feb, but if I had I would be at a 22.3 right now (killing it in handicapped tournaments!). #3 - Break 90 fairly consistently by the end of the season. (I have only done this once this year).

I recently retired my 1972 Ping Kushin, which my grandfather bought new and I inherited when he passed in 1980. Now playing a TM Spyder and a complete set of 2017 M2's - so the oldest club still in my bag is about a year.