Rippy_72

USGA has assumed a scratch player is one who has a teeball that travels 225 yards in the air, this is where they look at difficulty. To be frank, I have never played with a scratch who hit it that short. I am sure there are some. There isn't much more to know once such an enormous error is seen. When was the last time you saw a non-tournament scratch player break 80 first time out on a championship test, like a USGA setup? I've played with good quality club professionals on many occasions where they failed to break 90 on such venues. So, says me.

I know. If a club has 250 members and 40 rounds average per member, that is is 10,000 rounds to somehow control. it is a thankless job for sure and not an easy one. There are private clubs that not only do not have a committee or may not have had one for 20 years - there are others that do not care. I have been a member at clubs with a variety of different "approaches" to the handicap committee challenge. Plenty of sandbaggers who openly pump up their HC before the big member-guests, etc. At your club, who reviews a score posted into the computer? How do you know if a member posts their especially good scores? Back in the old days, you needed a signature on a card, a person who attested to it. Like in a tournament. This tournament score posting was probably the best part of the British system, a guy's handicap was based upon competition and only competition and thus, should represent one's playing ability. I don't mean to stir the pot, I am just never confident in someone's handicap unless I have played with them quite a bit. For instance, I played a small wager match with a 6 HcP on the Old course giving him 3 shots. I was three down going into the Long Hole, he was 3 under and shot 68. I gladly paid him but the odds of a 6 HcP shooting 4 under in the wind is pretty well nil.

Not effectively.

But in opinion, it does not account for greens stimping at 12 vs 8 or fairways 20 yards wide vs 30 yards wide or the decision to mow rough to 4-5 inches versus 2 1/2-3 inches or firm and fast greens vs watered. Just my observation or I should say my opinion.

It is impossible to generalize but my experience at 3 clubs over the years, the computer terminal is often the peer review. At one high end private where I was a member, the Professional was the HcP Chairmen and his assistants were the rest of the committee. In a stroke play event, one member had three consecutive scores 10-15 shots per round better than his handicap. I had the Pope of Slope calculate the probability of that happening randomly, it was like one out of a trillion or something silly. No, his handicap was not revised. I cannot possibly speak to peer review in general but my observation at any club private or public is that one simply posts their score into the computer at the end of the round. Done. Unlike in other parts of the world, I have always viewed a USGA handicap with a lot of suspicion for many reasons. For one reason and as an example, say a 5 Hcp playing a true championship course like Bethpage Black or either Winged Feet with narrow fairways, deep rough, firm and very fast greens is going to be a much more skilled player than a 5 Hcp on an average course with wide fairways, modest rough, slower and softer greens, etc. What is often termed a vanity handicap is simply a difference in course conditions and difficulty. We all know that in the UK and Ireland, handicaps were only established based upon tourney scores and no real slope or corpse rating to tilt them and there really was not a way to compare a USGA based 5 HcP to a UK 5 Hcp,

I sole it. I try to have as little tension in my forearm and hands as possible before pulling it back. At least that is my thinking why I sole but I have been accused of not having enough grip pressure

I'll talk to the pro and see if I can get a new number. Thanks. In the USA from my experience, I have not seen a real handicap committee since the 70's. Those were the days. Attested cards put into the box and the committee put your HcP up on the board.

Does anyone know if one can start over with a new handicap, ignoring scores from 2013/2014? I know old scores carry over into the new systems, but is there a way to start fresh? I tried to read this whole thread and rules but did not see my situation covered. Sorry if I missed it. I have not played due to a medical condition and there is no way I can play anywhere close to my old level. And since handicaps can only be revised upwards a small amount each year, it would take me years to have an accurate handicap. I am guessing I might be able to play to an 8 Hcp now or maybe a 6, but under the new system, it will probably have me as a +2.6, which is crazy. I am pretty sure I cannot break 80 with any consistency. Change my name? These are my last 10 best differentials from my sheet: -2, -4.1, +3.1, +2, -3.1, -3, -3.1, -2.1. -2.1, -2.1 (I did not list the bad 10 scores out of 20, just top 10 of old system)

Pain is like that. Depending upon how one swings the club, a tightened back can affect the shot. Pinehurst 2 was 7 hours. But you are correct, 6 hour rounds are rare. I exaggerated. 5+ are common.

Ok. Good for you. Trump gets my vote again in November.

I did not realize I was expected to comment on the owner. I'd play one. I would not join one of his clubs, is that sufficient for you? Not picking up tees, throwing cigar and cigarette butts on the turf, and other trash is riff raff behavior. In my limited rounds at his course, the conditions were immaculate and the staff were also incredible. Would I turn an invitation down to play a Trump course? No.

When the cart hits bumps, it jams your spine. This puts my spine erector muscles into spasm. Bad for my game. Some courses are impossible to walk. I've sometimes been able to walk by agreeing to pay the cart fee but some places insist on 5-6 hour rounds and golf carts on the "path only" are the sure way to accomplish that.

Nice. A small tidbit that may or may not be known. If it says "Pine Valley" next to the crest, the apparel or bag was bought by a guest. If it is just the crest w/o Pine Valley, they are a member. Member apparel is keep in a separate area than in the pro shop. My junk says Pine Valley. LOL

There is no way anyone, unless they are Jamie Sadlowski, is going to generate 120 mph driver club speed with the hips immobilized like that. It just looks like the next logical regression to stack and tilt, in my opinion. Maybe a good way to deliver the club to the ball squarely for newbies coming to the game late. I'd like to see a video of a driver with club and ball speed and launch conditions.

Go to the range and intentionally try to draw the ball with smooth 3/4 swings, you'll probably hit it straight. Check posture, alignment, stance, and ball position. Try to feel like you are delivering the club face to the ball from the inside with a slightly closed club face, the ball should draw but in your case, it might just go straight. Swing easy. Swing, don't hit with the right shoulder (if you are a righty). Or, try hitting some easy punch shots with a 6 iron from the middle of your stance. Take it back to 9 o'clock and punch/trap the ball but follow thru only to 3 o'clock. Try to make the divots not go left, try for straight and symmetrical divots. Golf is a game of opposites, if you want it to go left, you have to aim right. If you went it to go high, you have to hit down. Try learning to draw the ball but focus on the path of the clubface into the ball. Take that all with a huge grain of salt. What are the cures? Who knows without a diagnosis, we're all guessing. It could partly be a weak grip. Too much tension in the hands and forearms? Your hips and stance could open at address. Posture might be wrong. You could be jammed up to the ball at address (heel strike, gear effect). Your left elbow and arm position could be wrong at address. You probably have a reverse pivot. You probably start down with the right shoulder and over the top combined with a reverse weight shift and weak grip, it is a weak heel slice (path left, left, left and some degree of open face relative to path) but for sure, your path is wrong. Slicers always have outside to inside path. Shafts could be too stiff. Grips too fat (club gripped with the palms). Lie angles could be too flat. Just a SWAG. Could be a lot of problems but outside path for sure and probably incorrectly activated right shoulder with a weak grip is my guess. A picture is worth a 1000 words, post a video and you will get a thousand opinions. You mentioned you had managed to rid yourself of the slicing curse, what was the original fix?