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Ram
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About Ram
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- Birthday 11/30/1987
Personal Information
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Member Title
Mini-Golfer
Your Golf Game
- Index: 5.0
- Plays: Righty
Ram's Achievements
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Here's my advice in list form. 1) Enter and play in as many tournaments as you think you can stand. The best way to put yourself in position to win is, first, to actually play, and second, to be comfortable in those kinds of tournaments. I'm going to assume you're a high school golfer. In those city/county/state tournaments, you're going to be playing with guys who are older, better, and more experienced than you. The more you play with them, the less you'll be intimidated. Once you put your first good round up in one of those tournaments, you'll be able to do it again and again. That being said, it could take some time. Don't get discouraged if you have a bad outing here and there. Keep grinding away, and focus on the positive aspects of your game while taking away the things you need to work on. 2) Pick up Bob Rotella's "The Golf of Your Dreams." This book is basically a prescription for the kind of commitment you need to make to take your game to the next level. Study it, and understand the work you're going to have to make to get there, and then do it. And again, don't get discouraged when it doesn't come immediately. 3) Work hard on your short game. I know we all get tired of hearing this, but do it anyways. It's the great equalizer. If you're in high school, you're not going to be as long as a lot of guys (unless you are), and you'll probably need to make quite a few up and downs to keep those birdies on the board. 4) Make every situation a competitive one, and if you can, play with older players. There are a couple ways to go about this. First, play for money every time you play. 5 dollar closeouts are a good way to go (i.e., 5 dollars for the front, 5 dollars for the back, 5 dollars for the whole match, with the option to press once a side is closed out). 30 dollars doesn't seem like a high stakes bet, but it's large enough that it will hurt if you lose both nines and the presses. If you play at a club and your dad plays golf reasonably well, get him to let you play with his buddies. If you play at a club and your dad doesn't play reasonably well, find the good players, meet them on the range, and see if you can get a game going. You'll be surprised at how many older guys are willing to play with younger golfers. If you play public courses, find out when their skins games are, play in those, and get side matches going with the guys in your group. Again, you'll be playing with older guys, and at 2 handicap, you'll be giving a lot of them strokes. 5) Make your practice competitive/pressure based. Work on hitting shots, not hitting golf balls. The same goes for short game practice. 6) Play as much as you practice. If you have any questions, need clarifications, or whatever, feel free to shoot me a PM.
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I've been toying with the idea of reshafting my 3-wood with graphite. It's a Titleist 980F with a stiff steel shaft. At first, I was just going to get a new one, but I can't find a 3 wood that looks as good at address. My question is, do you think it's a good idea to go ahead and put a graphite shaft in it, and if so, which one? I do hit it pretty solid as is, but I would like to get some more distance out of it. On the really long par 5s I can't hit in two with irons, the distance I currently get out of it prevents me from going for the green.
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Asking Single Digit Handicappers, What's Your Worst Score for the Season?
Ram replied to Happy Dragon's topic in Golf Talk
I shot 86-92 a couple of weeks ago. Had never seen the courses before, they had lots of hazards, and the greens were big and I could not putt. Sometimes you have those days and you just have to shake them off. I was back to my usual game the next week. -
I picked up this book based on the strength of the comments on this forum. For me, the most valuable part of the book is the feel based approach and the regulation of the length of the backswing. I think one of the main problems with many amateurs' short games is that by relying on a shoulder/arms swing, we frequently take the club back much further than we think we are, leading to deceleration/chunks. Utley's method allows me to feel how far back I'm taking the club much better than with my previous technique. Obviously, it's going to take some time getting used to the mechanics, but I think his emphasis on feel makes it a lot easier. One of the reasons I like the pro I work with so much on my long game is that we don't work on mechanics, plane, video analysis, etc. Instead, he gives me a move to feel, and I incorporate that move into my practice and preshot routine (or, as is the case for me, my waggle). Plus, since my ballstriking is fairly advanced, perhaps incorporating more of a mini-full swing feel will improve my contact on chips and pitches. Here's hoping that Utley's technique leads to some serious improvement in the most deficient part of my game.
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I, too, would like to see some good putting drills, particularly to improve touch on longer putts. This is the part of my game that is keeping me at a five handicap instead of getting to a + something. I hit the ball a lot better than most people but those f@#$*%& putts are killing me!
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If you can take a caddy who is excited to be out there and knows something about golf, do it. Just being able to talk through shots, course managements, and putts is worth a couple strokes.
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When I was 15, I had a serious burnout. Even though I'd won two tournaments that summer and was down to a 3 handicap, by the end, my game was in complete disarray. My back hurt all the time, I had the chipping yips (don't even get me started on those), and golf was just not fun anymore. I up and quit. No high school golf, no tournament golf, no casual golf. After a 5 year break, I just started playing again this summer. Golf is fun again...I have more fun practicing and playing, I hit the ball farther than I ever used to (I guess that's to be expected) and I feel like my short game is starting to come around. Hell, I just shot my low round at my home course today (69 on par 72). Most importantly, I have a renewed passion for working on my game, where before I just played a lot. It has definitely helped to get a fresh perspective and realize how privileged I am to be able to play golf. However, while I do recommend a break, I do not recommend one as long as I took or out_in_30 took, at least not if you want to be a truly good player. Take 5 weeks instead of 5 years. Take up weightlifting or tennis or anything active for a little while and then come back with low expectations and play and practice casually for a little while, and then reassess where you want to go with golf. And good luck.
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Actually, I am pretty sure that there are quite a few sets of conforming irons available, based on what I've read. I know that some of Titleist's irons conform, as do some Nikes. That being said, the best way to find out would probably be to email a customer service rep at the company to find out for sure. I think the USGA's list should be out fairly soon. My understanding is that wedges are the clubs you most have to worry about vis-a-vis conformity.
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Obviously I can't comment on your specific situation, but if the range you practice on uses mats rather than grass, then part of your problem could be right there. Mats absolutely kill me...the mild back pain I normally have from golf/working out sets on sooner and more intensely, and I often find my wrist hurting, too.
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Definitely agree with the last post, but I can say with certainty that the Pro V1 is a very spinny golf ball. It's too spinny for me as well, although I'm kind of shocked that this is something a high handicapper has to worry about. If you switch to the Pro V1x, this kind of behavior will decrease.
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Wow, you and I are in the same boat. After not playing any golf for 5 years, I took it up again in the middle of June. Went from a 96 my first time out to breaking 80 consistently now. Unfortunately, it's the short game that seems to take the longest time to come around...my swing came back pretty quickly. As for ball flight, you're right about the shaft having more to do with it than the clubhead. The stiffer and heavier the shaft, the lower you'll hit it. Find irons that you like the look of and get them with steel shafts that err on the heavy side.
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I recently put an Adams a4 Boxer hybrid (19 degrees) in my bag and couldn't be happier with it. It's easy to hit and it doesn't have the tendency to hook like hybrids did when they first came out. I mostly use it off the tee or for my second shot into long par fives. I've never had a problem holding the green with it, either.
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I have this club in the 8.5 degree loft with the stiff red shaft. I hit the ball high, so the red shaft + lower loft has helped me lower my launch angle, but if you like a higher ball flight or have trouble getting the ball in the air, go with the gold shaft. Personally, I love this driver--it goes a long way, and when I catch it solid, it's probably louder than any other driver I've ever hit, which is a plus for me. I say give it a shot.
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Driver: Cleveland Hi-bore XLS 8.5 degrees 3-wood: Titleist 980F (I believe) 15 degrees Hybrid: Adams a4 19 degrees Irons: Ping i3 3-PW green dot Vokey Oilcan 56 (bounce 10) Vokey Satin 60 (bounce 4) Odyssey Whitehot XG 2-ball F-7 I just started playing again after a five year layoff, so the irons, wedges, and three wood are fairly old. I'll probably upgrade the wedges and switch to a 54/60 combo with more bounce when I can justify the expense.
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Poppy is definitely worth playing if you're an NCGA member. Bayonet and Black Horse are also worthwhile. Rancho Canada is a nice little track, and the last time I was there, comparatively inexpensive. If you're ever in the Santa Cruz area, DeLaveaga GC is worth checking out as well.