killerduck

When I said people should yell "Fore - 13th", I meant they should yell that out when the hit a ball toward a player/group on the 13th fairway. Ignore the Left thing, that's obviously more for tournaments where there a people lining the fairways. But I notice a lot of pro's don't bother yelling fore when they send one into the crowd. I was playing with an erratic guy last week. He hit a tee shot into the wooden bank of a water hazard 10 metres in front of us and ball ricochet off somewhere. We had no way of seeing it. A guy on the green next to us (through thick scrub and trees) said "It went this far from my head (about 3 feet, although he was probably exaggerating) and I never once heard a fore", what good would it have done? He wouldn't have guessed a ball coming off of our tee was going anywhere near him. If we could've seen the ball we would've called "Four 7th! Duck!" etc.

After reading "Dream On" by John Richardson I've sort of become inspired a bit to tackle this golf thing a little more seriously. Whilst I have many goals, my most immediate is to crack into a single digit handicap. Nothing major to many people, but it is my goal. Then, maybe, with much hard work I might be able to achieve my 'dream on' goal of going down to 4, and competing in a state amateur championship. I have played with many single digit handicappers, and on the odd occasion, beaten them in matchplay, both casually and in pennant competition. Last week I started my regime of doing some sort of golf practice everyday that I don't play. Or perhaps, even before or after I play... To this point in time my personal bests are +10 for 18 +4 for 9 4 birdies in 1 round 10 pars in 1 round 25 putts Just two months ago my handicap was 18. It is now 13. Two weeks ago I moved to a new golf club, where the course is tougher than my previous one, and the greens are far more complex. Every hole is bunkered and the beautiful 15th has a green guarded by a massive dam that is filled with turtles and wood-ducks. Check the club's web site www.ttggolfclub.com.au I am struggling with the putter there at the moment, ave 33.6 putts a round. My average score there is 87.2. If my 'putting par' is 30 (and it usually is) my ave score would look more like 83.6. So it's off to the putting green today. Under 9.5 by 2011? Wish me luck...

I should've done this today after the 14th!

Anyone else find it amazing that 60% of people have either had 0 or 9+ eagles?

Two weeks ago I joined a new club. I've played about 6 rounds there since and one thing that worries me is the almost constant, and uselessly futile calls of "Fore". The problem areas for stray balls are fairly well kept to the 1st/10th/11th/12th/14th fairways, as they run side-by-side and are easily within range of a wayward shot. So, whenever someone tees off, and their ball heads in the general direction of the trees they call "Fore". And that's it, just "Fore". And it seems there are more "Crack - FORE" shots than there are just "Crack - nice shot, Johnny" shots. So much so that "Fore" has no effect, people don't take notice, which is dangerous. People need to call "Fore - 13th!" or "Fore - Left!" or whatever seems appropriate. Call TO the people who need to take cover, and only call "Fore" if the ball is actually going near someone. Fair call?

Felt I deserved better than my score today. A few funny bounces and the most horrendous lie in an 80* slope just above a bunker to boot. How did the ball get stuck in pretty short rough, on an 80* slope when it crashed into it on the full??? 87 (33pts) - 34 putts was 2 under my h/c with 4 holes to go before all the seams unravelled.

This is the quirkiest idea I've heard for a while! I like the angle you're coming from. Not sure anything to average out hitting distances among all golfers will ever be implemented though. Guess we'll have to work on our short games!

I am 24, and a few years ago I went from a push-buggy to a carry bag. I've always had trouble with my lower back, and the 'strain' of forcing a weight from somewhere around my hips was doing me no good. I know this might sound weird, but the handle on a push cart is fairly low, so steering and pushing naturally comes from the lower back. I switched to the carry bag, moving the work from my lower to upper back. My back has become stronger, albeit with some tightness in the neck. And it makes getting around a hilly course SO much easier. But at the end of the day, no matter how you transport your clubs, if you play regular golf, you'll probably need regular physio or chiropractic work done.

85 (+15) - 35pts. hit 50% GIR (personal record), but 35 (tied personal high record) putts..... Picked up a couple pro V1x's in the birdie comp for my bird on 8th. Sunk it from 30' with a bit of L to R.

Chuck a (imaginary) beach ball between your knees to keep them separated through the swing.

pitching, pitching and more pitching. Picked up a couple wedges, a new 56* and for the first time a 52* (no 60's or anything silly like that) Going through something similar to the 3x4 wedge system, but I'm simplifying it to 2x3 wedge system.

So the action of making a "stroke" is in the down-swing only?

OK, can someone tell me if he was playing the shot? Or just taking a practice swing? I only saw one replay of his club touching the twig/thing but not if he continued to play the ball..... Because if he was PLAYING the ball I can't see how it's a penalty?

Considering my internet profile is often "Killerduck" (I think it might be on this forum as well, I'd go with the Duck!!

I've struggled a bit since moving to my new course, and after another disappointing round where I hit the ball ok, but couldn't putt to save my life I was given a ray of sunshine! 17th, Par 4 of 360 metres, downhill tee shot. From about 110m out I made a "perfect" swing with a 9 iron. The one I've been feeling for but had thus far been difficult to fabricate. It was all over it, pitched about 8 feet short of the pin and stopped about 4 feet short. Uphill, left to right breaker for my first birdie at my new course. The feeling of that swing was euphoric. I'd conjured up a few others like it in the round, but that was the one I want to replicate next time I'm on the range.

This may seem like a silly question coming from a 13 to a +2, but are you working on getting some movement into your swing? Apparently, Tiger moves about 8 inches in his swing (I think they mean his hip-slide, upper body etc) In the side on view of your driver, it looks like you swing 'on the spot', not moving back, or forward laterally in your swing...

YES! I have vented at my club. See my "So sick of my course can I get an amen" thread. I solved it!! I moved to another club. Now my scores are higher, along with my enjoyment of the game! lol It's only been 3 rounds, but I've moved to a much tougher course. LOVING IT

WARNING - As soon as I start thinking I'm getting somewhere, I go back to where I came from! Just keep plugging away at it, one shot at a time...

Dexterity is one of those mind boggling algorithms that may never be truly figured out. For me, when I do something one-handed, it's right handed. Write, throw, bowl (cricket), tennis, day-to-day stuff. When I do something two-handed, it's left handed. Golf, batting (cricket/baseball). Another uncanny part of my dexterity is that I'm a naturally left handed guitarist, but I play right because that's how I learnt from the beginning. I'm also a left-footed kick. Picture if you will, my younger brother, who is exactly the same as me apart from - he's a right handed guitarist, and a right-footed kicker. Baffling. Yet, I can sorta hit a golf ball right handed (with a bit of fade) and I can putt REALLY well right handed with a left hand low grip. BTW, An old guy I know played off of 8 right handed, screwed his back up, came back as a lefty and played off of 8.... What a champion!

Driver mostly between 200-215 metres (218-230 yd) every now and then it goes further. Max is about 255 metres (278 yd) Average carry is about 190 metres (207 yd) Although it's pretty short (I was consistently behind my marker's 3 wood today) It's actually fairly reliable. Here's a stat for you.... The Australian scratch golfer will hit an average drive of 225 metres (246 yd) and be able to reach a 430 metre (470 yd) hole in 2 shots. - This is what they use to determine the difficulty and playing length of any given hole.

cap or (you're forgetting the 3rd option) A Greg Norman wide brimmed hat.

I find it hilarious (and super annoying) that people yell this from the fairways, because, so far nobody's predicted it correctly. They yell "Get in the hole!" as if it's a guess. I just wanna be there and say to them after "HA! You were WRONG! It missed!!". And then for the next guys shot, I'd yell "Miss The Hole!" or "Get on the green!!". I noticed though that I didn't hear it once while watching last November/December's Australian tournaments. Admittedly I didn't watch every minute of them, but it's something I've never really heard. Except, perhaps when someone's putting at birdie... Then I'd say it's ok to yell "Get in the hole!" PS A couple years ago Tiger was playing a tournament somewhere. He'd driven it into the right rough and had to play his 2nd in between the spectators. He had a tree infront of him that I think he decided to try and fade around. Well, he hits the ball, and someone starts screaming "YEAH! YEAH! WHOOOOO! YEAH!! YEAH!! YEAHHHHHHHH! WOOOOOOOO!" The ball ended up about 20yd short of the green, in the right rough behind a bunker. Reverse footage (from infront of Tigers left arm) clearly showed the culprit. Some 30-40 year old, with a goatee, standing front row, right behind Tiger. He was clapping so hard I thought he'd broken a wrist for sure! I guess he was just REALLY excited about seeing Tiger's swing from 6 feet away??

I seem to hit most of them on the bottom groove at the moment! So frustrating, but they do go pretty straight with decent flight. Gonna work really hard on that in the coming weeks. When I hit it well, it's probably between the 3rd and 4th groove.

I usually start hitting 60-80% pitch shots. I've never really been able to fit anything more than a 6 iron on the warm up area, but that may change now I've started at a new club, where there is a much longer practice fairway.

Check your shoulder alignment. Generally if your shoulders point more toward 1 o'clock (right hander) you'll tend to draw/hook. If they point more toward 11 o'clock you'll tend to cut/slice. Maybe your club face is too closed at impact? Try the same swing, pick the club up a little higher, and start with a slightly more open face. (That's what I tend to do when I initiate panic sequence "I CAN'T STOP HOOKING THE THING!!") lol