RetiredOldMan

Hi Everyone, I have had a really good year. Went from shooting in the 100's to the 90's and handicap went from 27 down to 21.2 and trending to 20.8. I also had a couple of rounds in the 80's. Here is what I did to get where I am today: 1. I started using better balls. Not pricey ones or anything fancy, but balls that felt good when I hit them and played consistently in my drives and controlling my shots. ( Personal preference, I don't like colored balls. I find it to be a distraction and I seem to lose them quite easily.) I have been using Titlest DT Soft, Pro V1, when someone gives me a new one 😄 , and Callaway Soft.) 2. Started taking time to aim where I was going to hit the ball and thinking about ball placement in the fairway and to the green. (Before, I was satisfied to just being in the fairway.) 3. When I hit the ball and land in deep rough, take an iron and get back in the fairway, and don't try and hit a fairway wood out of the rough. (Even a rescue wood unless you have a decent lie.) What I need to work on: I have a tendency to pull my irons to the left and I don't know why. (How do I overcome this or approach this problem. It is mainly with my 4 and 5 iron.) My putting seems to just go right of the cup by a slight amount I don't know if it is my depth perception, my alignment, or what but it makes me miss 2' and 3' putts. (Long putts seem to be more accurate.) So, some pointers and comments as to how I can consistently shoot in the 80's. Things that you do to shoot consistently low scores. I have had several rounds where I have shot in the 80's, so I know I can do it, I just want to do it consistently. Retired Old Man

I raised the loft of the club to 10.5*. It did wonders for my driving. Very impressed. Thanks for the advice. I will get on the simulator and look at the difference, but my drives increased a good 20 yards and One Boomer with a tail wind, I had a drive of around 260 yards. Retired Old Man

I shot an 88 today. My GHIN is currently 23.5 but trending to 21.2 when it updates tomorrow. WooHoo, I am on my way to get under a 20 handicap. Can I vent a little? I played with 2 other players today and they improved their lie the whole game. When marking the ball on the green, they would advance it toward the cup if they could get away with it. I played my ball as it lie. Then they had the audacity to tease me because I got beat by 1 stroke. 😞 I played well and I have known these 2 guys for some time. They always adjust their ball lie. It really never bothered me until I started playing better this year. I just need to play against myself and let them do what they think they need to do. Okay, I am finished. Retired Old Man

A lot of golf buddies tell me to keep my handicap high. I would rather keep it accurate. I am heading out this morning and hope to shoot in the low 80's. Will let you know. My handicap is slowly coming down. I started out htis year with a 27.3 as of July 1st. I am currently at 23.5 but trending to 22.4. Hopefully the app will update today or tomorrow. Retired Old Man

I played Men's Senior at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course this year. There were usually about 50 to 55 players every week. It was my first time to play in any kind of competiton/organized play since around 1970. It cost $5 to play, and I won just shy of $20 this summer. ( I bought me a nice golf polo shirt and my winnings paid for half of it.) Then I won another $9 prize 2 weeks ago and haven't spent the money yet. We just finished with the last Senior Men's Tournament playing a 3 man scramble. My team placed 3rd. (18 teams, I think) We were 3 over par. So, we each won $6.50. Retired Old Man

I am an instrument rated private pilot with a high performace endorsement. Any other private pilots in this forum? I hope so. Retired Old Man And,,,,,,,why you shouldn't fly a Commanche over an Apache Reservation.

Thank you for the advice. I raised it up to 10.5* loft and it seemed to increase my distance. However, I was hitting my drives well yesterday but only played on the short sand greens course. We are headed out this morning at 11 a.m. to play Fort Hays, which is grass greens and my home course. Will let everyone know how it goes when I get back. Retired Od Man

High everyone, I have got myself in a bind and need some advice and some thinking, other than my own. In 2018, I ordered a Tour Edge, Hot Launch 2, Driver with a 12* offset. Picture below. I think my loft angle is also 12*. (Maybe Not 12* Loft) It has a Senior Flex Shaft. I really like it. It is easy to hit and 99% of the time is straight down the fairway. If I have a really good fairway lie I can hit in out in the fairway. (About 210 to 225 yards off the tee, at Fort Hays playing grass greens) The problem is, the ball flies too high and I lose distance. I play in a windy location and as a rule wind up about 20 yards short on my drives. I can tee it lower but when I do, it becomes harder to hit the sweet spot and thus I may not get a good drive as I usually do. I started playing "Grass Greens'" at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course. On the Sand Greens that I play, the fairway is usually a "Buffalo Grass" fairway. This is a real thin grass and very hard ground. Thus, when I hit the Hot Launch, I get a lot of roll after the ball lands. (Easily 20 to 30 yards and farther.) If I take the Hot Launch to Fort Hays, my drives usually take a single bounce and quit rolling, due to thick grass fairways. So,,,,,,I had the opportunity to buy a Taylor Made RBZ Driver. (Early this summer) I like it but it did take some getting used to before I started getting good drives. It is an adjustable loft and I have it set on 9.5* and is a "Stiff Shaft." Picture below. I hit the Taylor Made well. (About 250 to 265 yards off the tee.) The problem is if I get tired, the Taylor Made is not as forgiving as the Hot Launch. ( So, I have to concentrate on slowing my back swing down and hitting it more relaxed) The plus side is I usually can drive farther using the Taylor Made. If I am playing well and in my groove ,the Taylor Made seems to be the better driver. My golf bag is full and I would have to remove a 4 iron to carry both drivers. I have no trouble with the stiff shaft, as all of my clubs are stiff shafts. The Hot Launch is my only Senior Flex Club. I just hate seeing my Hot Launch gathering dust in my garage, but I like the extra distance I get from the Taylor Made. Your opinion and thoughts please. Would you ditch the 4 iron and carry 2 drivers or would you focus on playing with a single driver? Retired Old Man P.S.> Earlier this year I traded my MXD irons for a Senior Flex, graphite, Warrior Irons. I had a terrible time with them. Several players told me I wasn't ready for Senior Flex Clubs. So, I traded my senior flex irons for my old original stiff shaft MXD irons. Even at 72 years old, I play well using stiff shafts. I could probably get a little more distance going to a more flexible shaft but when I payed the Warrior irons my accuracy suffered a lot.

Thanks for straightening me out. What I was really trying to say is : The pro who plays with me, is going to be at a disadvantage whether I drive, chip, or putt. 😄 Retired Old Man

Reading all this friendly banter about driving verses chipping and putting in my opinion, leaves a big gap, in my reasoning. If I have a +20 handicap, both driving and chipping and putting will be inferior to a scratch golfer. When I play against a better golfer, +10 handicap for instance, I need to stay in the fairway and not 3 putt a green. If, and a big if, he is having a rough day, I stand a good chance of beating him. I will not beat a scratch golfer. (Unless he falls down and can't get up.) 😄 From personal experience, I play a good game when I keep my drives in the fairway and not missing my putts. Every shot counts. My 2 cents worth, Retired Old Man

In 2017, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in my right hand. For several years, the VA had been telling me it was an "Essiential Tremor" from the result of aging. I was at my regular Doctor one morning going over some test results related to my Thyroid. He said, "Why don't we look into the tremor in your right hand. It's probably nothing serious but let's just be sure." Six months later, a Neurologist confirmed it was indeed Parkinson's and with some other medical issues, suspect that it was the result of Agent Orange from my tour of Vietnam. The Neurologist said to start working out on a "Recumbent Bike." I did for awhile until my left knee started hurting and so I started playing golf. Playing golf, with medication, has done wonders for my tremor in that I can hold my hand steady when I address the ball and during hitting. I can still fly my airplane, writing is difficult after writing a large amount. Other than that, the tremor is not noticeable unless you see my hand shaking while waiting to tee off. I have lost some strength in my upper body and arms but with diet and exercise it is gradually returning. I started playing on "Sand Greens" and then joined a Golf Club in Hays, Kansas where I now play 2 to 3 times a week. (Grass Greens) My goal was to break a 100. (I did earlier this summer) My goal was to break 95. ( I did this summer) My goal was to break 90. ( I did a few weeks ago and seem to be able to maintain that. 82 & 84 & 88, and I usually play from the whites unless we are all Seniors and we still play mostly from the whites but do play Senior tees occasionally.) My next goal, probably next year will be to break 80. That may take awhile but there will come a day where everything will fall into place and it will happen. I am 72 and never paid for a lesson. My Dad was an excellent golfer and always got me pointed in the right direction. Retired Old Man

I was all set to play against myself but at the last minute, the Club Pro changed over to a 3 man scramble. There was 1 team that had 4 players, and we were matched against them on actual play. (This was my Men's Senior Final Tournament for the year.) Anyway, 18 teams and our team finished 3rd. Very happy. Wind conditions was south at 30 mph to gusts of 35 to 40. It was miserable trying to hit into the wind. However on 1 par 4, I had the wind to my back and I drove it within 30 yards of the green. 😄 Chipped on and 2 putted for a par. My partners were a 65 year old and he drove past the green (because of strong winds behind him, and went in the rough. My other partner is 75, and he drove and stayed in the fairway but didnt have very good distance. Fortunately, I was able to have an excellent drive and stayed i the fairway. I am 72 years old) Again we were elated to finish 3rd. Retired Old Man

Most professional players still play well regardless of the course. My Dad, at 67 years old carried a 1 handicap. He was left handed, could take my right handed irons, turn them over backward, and hit a very decent ball. The difference: He played the course. I played the game. BTW, in his later years, Ben Hogan and him were golfing buddies. (Just my 2 cents worth) Retired Old Man

I am playing a Men's Senior Tournament this afternoon and will get some pictures taken for my Avatar. Meant to do it the other day, took my phone, played 18, went home and forgot to take any pictures. (Senior Moment) Sorry, Retired Old Man

Hi Everyone, I started playing 2 years ago when I became fully retired and was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in my right hand. (Exercise does wonders for controlling the shaking and so I try and play golf every day.) I started out with the habit of adjusting the ball lie in the fairway in order to make my next shot better. As I gradually improved, I had several other fellows I play with make smart remarks about adjusting my ball lie. (Even though they did the same when it came their turn to hit.) One day I was playing with a +8 handicap player and he made the comment that when I started playing in competition, I would not be allowed to change the ball lie without being challenged and maybe disqualified from play. So, earlier this year, I decided to play the ball as it lay. We do have exceptions as if the fairway is real soggy and muddy, we will allow the player to "clean and replace" the ball. So, this summer, I have played with fairly strict rules and taken penalty strokes for times I was forced to move the ball or change its position. At first, it was difficult and my score went up. Now, I don't give it a second thought. It has made me a better golfer and has helped me concentrate on staying in the fairways better. Also, when I get in deep rough, I will generally take an iron and get back in the fairway. Before I would always try to hit a good ball from the rough and wound up staying in the rough and making another difficult shot. Now, the guys I play with, except for 1 guy, adjusts their lie in the fairway. They just can't leave it alone. I do not say anything, don't have to, but I get a little "put out" that they do so, especially if they end up with a better score. 😞 (However, we are all good friends and it is not something I would call them on. They were playing that way before me and I am not going to interfer with their golf game.) However, we play for 10 cents a hole, longest putt, and lowest score. On a good day, I will win 50 or 60 cents. Oh, a birdie will get you $1 from every player. We used to play for longest drive (and it had to stay inbounds) but myself and 1 other player started winning that too much so we dropped it. (And a couple of the older players couldn't ever win at longest drive.) Back to the question. I know a lot of amateurs do adjust their lie with the reasoning that they are not professionals and are playing for fun. No right or wrong answers, just curious. Do you adjust your lie before hitting? Retired Old Man