Paz

On the practice chipping/pitching green today there was this old guy pitching shots from 10 yards off the green. He was taking full swings at the pitches and he was pretty horrific. The only reason they didn't fly the green is because his back swing literally took 4-5 seconds to get to the top. I felt bad because I kept stopping to look at his shot to make sure he didn't shank one and kill me. Speaking of almost being killed, about a month ago my father duck hooked a shot that came head high 6 inches to the right of my head about 50 yards up along the left rough where there's a little valley that I was standing in about to play my shot. My heart hasn't pounded that hard in a long time and I almost quit golf right there on the spot. I've learned my lesson and I'm no longer going to go ahead to my ball while someone is behind me still. Even if I can see the person hitting the shot, it's too risky! Can you imagine being killed by your own father doing the thing you two love to do most together? :( edit: now that I think about it, I really have no reason to complain about bad fortune in golf ever again. or bad fortune with anything for that matter. it was sooooo close

So, if I shot in the high 90's to high 100s back in March, does that mean I'm a 30 handicap?? I now shoot in the low to mid 80s consistently. Now that's somewhat irrelevant as I hadn't established a handicap back then. However, what I am trying to say here is that personal best rounds aren't due to an abundance of good fortune. You don't break your personal best by 8 strokes by chipping in 8 times. Maybe you get a few lucky shots, but most of it is due to being in the zone and playing to your current maximum potential. That's how I treat a handicap. As your max potential score when playing very solid golf. Why throw in rounds where things went bad from the get go and negative momentum destroys the round? Then you are basically saying because you played atrocious for one round that your maximum scoring potential isn't as high. Just because you shoot 100 once as a 10 handicap doesn't mean all of a sudden you can't break 80 on occasion. I guess I see how people would want to add in all their scores however to me that just doesn't make sense when you KNOW you are capable of playing better and generally do. It does make sense to do so if you want to treat it as an exact scoring average relative to course rating/slope. However, I treat it like my scoring potential while playing prepared solid golf. Not a casual round with buddies with no warm up or a really, really off and/or unlucky day. I've never been a fan of equitable stroke control. Low handicappers can shoot high numbers on certain holes and visa versa with high handicappers so I really believe you get what you get on a hole by hole basis. But often when I play casual 4s we usually play no more than 8 on a hole (despite that not being my preference but oh well). But I've had 9's and a 10 once before and I count them. I'm done with this thread though. I am actually putting myself at a disadvantage net score wise so I don't see what the fuss is about. I don't enjoy giving myself strokes, so the fewer the better.

I'm sorry but that's not how it works. You are infact cheating yourself if you play in tournaments and you do decide to post very high rounds or "fluke" rounds. Why? Because you will then be giving yourself more strokes then you deserve when you DO play a good round. It's the same as not posting index lowering rounds, because not posting those rounds will cause you to be given more strokes then you really should as well. By not posting blow up rounds and by making sure you do post your record breaking rounds you will ensure that your handicap stays as low as possible which means you will be given LESS strokes. There's nothing worse than a 20 handicap that somehow breaks 80, plus is given 20 strokes on top of it. Is it more likely that he actually broke 80 as a 20 handicap or that he is far lower than 20 handicap? I think the latter.

You are only cheating the system if you will lower your handicap index with a score but do not post it. If you normally shoot 90-95 post those scores for example. If you shoot in the high 90s or 100s you don't have to post those scores. Unless this becomes your norm then you should start posting them. I generally only post scores of 85 or lower since that's as high as I shoot when I'm playing pretty decently but not scoring well. I don't post when I shoot in the high 80's or low 90s and know it's not because of my putting but lack of good ball striking. the USGA states you can post any ACCEPTABLE round (which is determined by your own standards). Obviously, a round that lowers your index is considered acceptable so you are a sandbagger if you do not post it.

anyone else have any info they can share?

You never had this happen with other wedges? I've never played the vokey's so I can't comment on how much they shred balls

I agree that it isn't an important factor in solid contact. I was simply pointing out an inconsistent grip (from ignorance about the grip) causes inconsistent ball flight.

Solidly yes. On the same line probably not. Too weak of a grip/strong of a grip will open/close the club face more. This will result in inconsistent ball flight. Just recently I've started to get my grip to feel almost perfectly neutral at address. Having a netural grip also ensures a more square face relative to the swing path. For the longest time I could NOT figure out why my right hand felt so tiny and could barely even hold the club with an interlock grip. This was because my left hand grip was so strong my right hand grip had to be extra weak to even get it on the club. Once I figured that out my right hand feels much more secure on the grip as well as having fixed having a closed club face at address and throughout the swing.

When playing alone, I find it to be FAR superior practice. If there is a group in front of you moving pretty slow or even nobody on the course, you have plenty of time to work on your game. I generally don't hit more than 1 drive unless I really didn't like the first one. If I play more than 1 ball I pick up the 2nd and take it over to where my "in play" ball is. I hit my 1st ball for the real shot, then usually hit another 3-4 approach shots into the green, especially if I don't like my first one. I find this kind of practice so much better because you are using REAL golf balls and it's much easier to learn your yardages. If I don't hit the green I'll play my 3rd shot and then usually chip another 3-4 balls from that same spot, especially if it was a poor chip. I don't ever hit multiple lag putts from 30+ feet unless I miss it by 5 feet or more. If I miss putts under 10 feet I'll putt it until I make it. Of course, this is all dependent on the pace of any group that may be behind you. Also, at the range it is very easy to get accustomed to hitting one certain shot, since usually there are only a select few targets to aim at from a fixed distance. It's rare you will play the same club for your approach shot from hole to hole. The range is cheaper, however, and is MUCH better for working on technical parts of your swing. IE, thinking through your swing and the mechanics of it a lot more than how you want to play the shot. Just don't expect the same ball flight from the range to the course. Range balls are for contact practice only really. At my range I hit my 9 iron 125 but with a real ball its a 135 club.

I really couldn't think of a title for this thread but I had a few questions here. First, I am going to get fit for everything pretty soon because all of my clubs apart from my iron set are a few years old. I need a driver, a strong 3 wood, a hybrid 17 degree or so as well as a couple wedges. Now I know that a fitter or pro is qualified to figure out my shaft flex, lie angle, length etc which is great and all but how do they know what BRAND and MODEL of clubs are best for me? How can I trust them to not recommend me the most expensive thing and say "well if you want the best performance, these are the best we got" (you know the routine). That doesn't really help me. Basically, I don't really know what model driver is best for me or any clubs for that matter. I was also thinking of getting a new iron set because I heard that having new shafts put into your existing clubs is about 75 dollars per club. Golf Galaxy offers free fitting for irons if you buy a set while you are there (i'm assuming that means you buy it after you get fit and then they custom make your fitted clubs) so I am really thinking about getting new fitted irons as well since replacing the shafts on my current set would be about the same price as getting a whole new set that is fit for me. Does a fitter know what model of clubs fit my game best? Or just the stuff the launch monitor tells them edit: anyone have any recommendations on where to get fit? best customer service/prices? Dick's sporting goods, golf galaxy?

At the top of the back swing im at least 90 degree maybe even more like 80. The wedge angle gets smaller as you progress from address to top of the back swing and the opposite is true on the downswing. just trying to clarify here . Looking to maintain 135 to 150? Don't you mean achieve 135 to 150 AT impact?? Maintaining a 135 to 150 angle throughout the entire swing would be pretty powerless. I'm sure you agree, I'm just checking as you are likely the most knowledgeable instructor on this site. edit: i really like that flying wedge drill btw. I used it today at the range after I hit a fat shot knowing it was due to not getting my hips and weight forward enough. after that i hit about 10 towering nine irons in a row to 15 feet. Love improving at this game!!

By maintain the flying wedge I'm assuming you mean AT LEAST clubhead leaning forward and hands ahead of ball at impact. Because if you mean maintain a 90 degree or even less angle between shaft and right arm through impact that is just not possible. Part of the wedge has to be released on the downswing but obviously not release it so much that you flip. This as well as a well timed hip slide are what i've been working on the most lately.

Me too. Everytime I line up I feel like I am aimed slightly left of whatever I am trying to aim at. I believe this an illusion however since we stand ~ a yard to the left of the ball instead of behind it. I've heard the farther away the target, the farther left it will seem like you are aimed. Aligning to a spot a few yards in front of the ball has helped a lot though

I personally would recommend a laser rangefinder but if you want to use a gps go ahead. i don't have an opinion on a good gps however

Well, I don't know much but I can see you are flipping in the face on view at 0:03. Right before impact you are flipping your hands are behind the ball and your clubhead is about to pass ur hands. but it looks pretty close to being solid contact you just need your hands to be leading and ahead of the ball at impact. Can't wait for someone with more knowledge to help ya out some more

maybe one a few inches behind the ball. if the hands are behind the ball, either the clubface is too while still decending or you've already flipped. there's no way for the clubhead to still be decending if you're wedge isn't there

Exactly. Some people think sandbagging is when you don't apply ALL of your rounds. You aren't required to post ANY of your rounds. You post what is acceptable by your own standards. You are considered a sandbagger only if you DO NOT post rounds that will lower your index, because that gives you an unfair advantage in tournament play.

I'm pretty sure it's illegal but there is a program called GetTube that allows you to download youtube videos. If that's not pirating I don't know what is. I think there are other ways to do it as well but i don't know

You'd have to read the official rules I'm not sure. I believe if you complete 7 or more holes you can apply it to your handicap. Although I don't think that means if you complete a front 9 and 3-4 holes of the back 9 that you can apply the back 9 as well. I think it's 7 holes per 9.

because rolling the wrists is inconsistent and gets more inconsistent the faster and longer your swing is.

Yeah it's completely legal to do so. Even 7 holes counts because the USGA understands sometimes things don't go according to plan weather wise. Although, I don't know why someone couldn't finish 9 if they could finish 7. haha

I agree. I would love to play harder courses which are generally more expensive. Sometimes I do on Sunday mornings. But generally I just play my home course twilight for 25 dollars. I shot 38 on the back one day and then 39 on the front two weeks later. It helps when you have a birdie on the first hole and is it so hard to believe I had 4 bogeys and 4 pars for a 38 (35.0/131)?? When it's not the summer it's hard to get in full rounds when playing twilight.

It actually is when you haven't enough rounds. I don't know why you guys take it so seriously honestly. Once I post another few rounds it will be my top 2 rounds and yeah by the time I post 20 rounds it will be my top 10. I understand that so it's subject to change. Really, why do people care?

Maybe if you actually read the thread you would know? Where does it ever say my low round is 82 with my best two nines combined? Does it say that anywhere? No. 82 is my best full consecutive 18. Everyone knows it's much harder to shoot your handicap over 18. Your handicap is what you should score if you match your best scores you've ever had. A round can be applied to a handicap even if the whole 9 is not completed. Only 7 full holes need to be completed to be eligible for the handicap. Obviously, the more rounds you play the more consistent you need to be since they add more rounds into your differential the more you play. Again, shooting your handicap over 18 is much more difficult due to many kinds of fatigue. Plus more can go wrong in 18 holes than 9.

Today while working on my take away I discovered that my early wrist hinge was causing my hands to be too shallow. I asked a question about my takeaway in another thread and no one though it was a big deal. but by wrist hinging before p3 your hands remain too shallow and that really takes a lot of lag out of the back swing.