Goowa

39/59 I think I went through an entire box of balls on the back nine. If there was a way to be OB, I found it!!!

My goal this summer is to play bogey golf or better. I've managed to shoot 90 several times but haven't busted into the 80's yet. I have been playing off the tee much better lately at the range. Took it to the course today and shot 48 on the front. Nothing felt right and I almost skipped the back 9. Decided to play and shot a 41 on the back which is a much more difficult 9. So 48/41. Finally got into the 80's

Only if he's going to plant some corn. WOW, never heard of such a thing!

Been playing for almost 25 years. Decided this year to really get serious, and basically ruined any natural ability I had by reading too many tips in magazines and forums (no offense, there are some great tips here, I just get too many running through my head at the same time) Finally got a lesson from our club pro, and it was like a light switch got turned on. I'm definitely in the "why did I wait so long" camp.

The key for me is really gripping with the last 2 or 3 fingers of your left hand (for a righty). You should be able to control the face of the club with just those 2-3 fingers, and by keeping the rest loose, you keep your wrists loose which gives me a nice whip affect. It can be overdone, and I have noticed that on some swings I go a little too far and I can feel the club waving in the wind at the top of my swing, but once you get the feel, it really does make a difference, at least for me it did.

Not only do I have it, that's the color I have. I love mine!!! I got rid of a stand bag because I normally use my push cart or on rare occasions ride, and the stand bag didn't work well doing either. This bag is HUGE, but I love all the pockets. A little overkill and I wouldn't want to carry it walking 18, but its perfect for a cart or push cart.

Not that my 18 handicap really has any solid advice to offer except this. I'm a cheap bastard and I loose a TON of balls. Used to boat on a lake that bordered a golf course, so we spend many days walking the shoreline picking up thousands of balls. To this day I've never actually purchased a golf ball. That being said, I do separate them into brands and types, and try to play the same ball type all day long. The reason I bring this up, is that I can get a ball to stop on a dime with a wedge playing used Titleist, Slazenger or even Top Flite. I'm wondering if some of the problem with your ball running out isn't technique or your wedges. Not saying a good soft ball wouldn't help, but it might not be the major issue, and a super high spin ball can make your misses with your longer clubs worse. And just in case you're wondering, the NX balls in my sig are the ones my pro told me would fit my game. As soon as I run out of my lake balls, that's what I'll be switching to

20% taxes on $600K per year!!!!! I need a new accountant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did like the rest of your post, I just think you're pretty low on that tax rate.

I use a Ping G15 and actually hit it better off the deck than off a tee. I use my hybrid Ping as a replacement for my 3/4 iron, but haven't found a hybrid that can give me the distance of the 3 wood.

Now THAT'S funny! Actually laughed out loud! I am in the camp of wiping off the club after every shot. My county club has club washers on all the carts, so if I'm riding I have the advatage of just dipping the club in there and wiping it dry. Otherwise at the end of the round I'll grab a spare towel and some water and wipe them all down and clean the grooves with a tee. Occasionally, if I'm mad at my clubs for abandoning me during the round, I'll set my bag outside the pro shop and head for the bar for a scotch, and in about 5 minutes one of the cart boys has cleaned them for me.

Maybe its just me, but this tip worked wonders for me when my Pro suggested it. Actually he said hold it like a tube of toothpaste without squeezing, which I guess is the same concept. I only really apply any pressure with my two last fingers on my left hand, the rest is a VERY light grip. It solved my problem of not being able to create lag, its impossible to have loose wrists with a tight grip. It really did wonders for my lag, and keeping all the tension out of my swing, which all resulted in curing my slice.

Ping G15 3 Wood. Retired the Hippo after 5 years of good service

For me my fat shots are from either not shifting my weight, which normally happens when I'm trying to kill the ball off the tee, it amounts to keeping my weight on my right and dropping my right shoulder. My other problem is my weight can get too far out on my toes, and I end up leaning into the ball which causes me to hit behind the ball also.

From 20 or 30 yards out I have always had a good flop shot with my 60 ever since I started playing. Terrible form, flip my wrists, all wrong by text book standards, but I can hit it every time. I've working very hard on using my 56 or 52 to do a more traditional chip with more roll. I can do it all day long on our pitching range, but I end up not committing on the course and either blade the ball or chunk it due to indecision and deceleration. I can easily tell that the low chip is going to be a better and more consistent shot in the long run, I just need to gain the confidence to trust it on the course. From just off the green, my 8 iron is my go to club. Just pick a landing spot about 1/4 of the way to the hole, and putt the ball. I'll drop down to a wedge if the pin is close, but same putting motion.

Update: Took an hour lesson, and only changed two small things. My weight was too far forward, causing me to fall into the shots, and I was still gripping the club too tightly. I thought I had fixed the death grip issue, but since the change, I now feel like I'm almost going to throw the club down the fairway I'm holding so loose. Fixed my slice, better ball contact more balanced. I never would have figured that out on my own. Every fix I was trying to make, wasn't the problem in the first place. Played the same 9 after the lesson, triple bogied the first hole because of horrible course management. Decided to forget about it and move on. Proceeded to top 3 consecutive 3 woods and triple bogied the second. Finally decided to actually apply what I had just spent an hour learning and ended up shooting 3 over the next 7 holes, and even that included choking on two putts inside 3 feet that were for birdies. Best 45 I've shot as far as ball striking. My only swing thought now is loose grip.

I hope so too! I've always thought since on any given day one part of my game is on fire, but another one is way off, that one day it would all come together and I'd have a great round. It never dawned on me that it could work the other way too, and they were all off the same day! Wow this game is frustrating!

I have tried very hard this year to just let everything slide. I've found that if I'm playing alone, I don't tend to get as angry at myself as when I'm shanking balls all over the course in front of other people. Its probably more embrassment than anger. I also quickly realized that if I continue to get mad/frustrated, its only going to make my game worse. If I'm playing with others now, I try to laugh off my horrible shots, and if I'm playing alone and its just getting worse and worse, I usually just quit the round and start fresh the next day. Just not worth it in the long run. Ruins the purpose of golf, which is supposed to be fun, and makes me play worse at the same time. In college I did pretend I was going to throw my whole bag in the lake after the third ball went in, ended up accidently sending one of my clubs in, and had to wade in to 40 degree muddy water and get it. Last time I ever did that!

I've been trying the "look 4" in front of the ball" routine as describe in Impact Zone. It not very natural for me and I find that my best shots are actually looking at either the front of the ball or about an inch in front of it. Any further than this and I tend to hit at too steep of an angle. As long as I'm not looking at the back of the ball I make pretty good contact.

Nice work!!! Drop a couple of those three putts and you'll really be happy!!!

This wasn't one of them, and the 63 was on the front 9!!!!!! I felt like I had never swung a golf club before. 6 penalty strokes, 4- 3 putts, chunking wedges, topping and slicing drives! It was the worst round of golf I ever remember playing, and of course its while I'm playing with one of my parters for the first time. The good news is I was so bad, I stopped caring and shot a 48 on the same 9 right afterwards, which normally isn't a great score forme but compared to the 63, I felt like I was on fire. Scheduled a lesson with the club pro to hopefully figure out why I can't hit any of my clubs all of a sudden. Someone tell me again, why I keep playing this game? Oh ya, cause I still love it!!!!

I've read several of the Rotella books and enjoyed them all. Not a Game of Perfect is an excellent read, but I have a hard time using it on the course, if I had the ability to not get mad and play within my game, I probably wouldn't have needed the book in the first place! It is a great book, I just have to work harder at implementing it. On the other hand, the only book I've ever seen immediate results in my game from applying its principles was Putting Out of Your Mind. I've always been a decent putter, but in an attempt to improve my putting I put so many swing, alignment, stroke, and green reading thoughts in my head, I could barely hit the stupid ball anymore. Once I read this book, I immediately took the suggestions to the course, and have had immediate and lasting success. This is not to say I don't still work on my putting on the practice green, but once on the course, I pick a line, stare at the target, and just hit the stupid ball. Its just that simple, no more thinking, no more second guessing. I've taken 2-3 stokes off my putting consistently and am hitting many more long puts than I used to. Plus my misses don't leave me with a 15 footer coming back. The best thing is I'm no longer terrified of the green. Just hit the stupid ball, and don't worry if it misses. Now if he would just write a book call "How to Keep Your Drive in Your Own Fairway" I'd really be happy!

I would highly recommend this one, and especially since you can pick it up on Netflix. Just watched it tonight, so I haven't had a chance to see if his ideas work for me, but its entertaining in any event. The backwards shot was worth the price alone!

Great forum everyone! Been lurking for a while, picking up lots of usefull tips! I'm a born again golfer. I went from playing about 3 times per week abou 10 years ago and shooting mid 80's to only playing about 6 rounds in the last 10 years. We recently moved and joined a local Country Club, so now I'm back into the swing of things (pardon the pun) I've played about 14 rounds this year, finally got fitted for clubs and even took a lesson. My problem is that I'm shooting 105 one day and 85 the next due to my erratic iron play. I've decided to give S&T; a try and see if I can't get more consistent. I practiced for about an hour yesterday with mixed results, and while I don't expect to re-invent my swing in one hour, my question for those of you that have had success with S&T; is how long after you started implementing the changes, did you feel comfortable taking those changes to the course? Was it work on one part at a time and gradually change your swing during a round, or get it all worked out on the range first and use your old swing on the course, or a combination. Hoping I can cure my inconsistent striking soon!