Shindig

6/25: * Putting with the metal yard-stick, but not with my own putter (that is, not the one I currently use in play). Real ball, indoors. * Backswing, focusing on keeping the club face looking at the ball through A3, extending to full swing with hands high, then slow motion checked downswing.

Great; let us know how it goes in future rounds. I think my too-similar-distance of 3W and 5W, on the other hand, was not hitting the 3W well. In my last round (small sample size), it very clearly went further than the 5W. Time will tell which of my two small sample sizes was accurate, if either.

If you're consistently 10-15 yards short, is it because of a poor strike or being misinformed about the distance (either of the club or to the target)?

I'm just outside your desired range, sorry. But I want to remind you to add your Game Golf identity to your profile so it will appear on the "poster info" on the left hand side.

6/24 Several 5 minute increments today, but nothing as concentrated as the end of last week: * 3-4 times today, set up to a ball with the mirror away from me (relative to what the target would be if I swung). Worked on my backswing priority piece from evolvr. Indoors, with ball, but no contact. * Twice today took my grip (admittedly, not my Edel putter, but another putter with a similar grip in the golf room) and hit a few putts on the ruler to acclimate to the drill. The thing I really learned is that I need to use a real golf ball, because wow can I keep that plush one online!

At the very least, it's a proof of concept that you can break 80. I don't decide the achievements so I won't render an opinion on that. Instead, I'll post some encouragement. The first time I might have otherwise broken 90 (for the first time), on the second hole, I hit a bad sand shot, left the ball in the bunker. As I like to do after a bad shot, I immediately took a practice swing for what I should have done... oops, ball is still in the bunker. Two shot penalty. Including that penalty, shot a 91. A few weeks later, I shot an 87 at a different course. That felt better. I look forward to hearing from you that you broke 80 on your full score.

Thank you for reminding me how physically weak I was last time I went shooting... it was about eleven years ago and I remember starting with a .22 and thinking that I better not try a higher caliber, as that recoil was enough for me. I'm 5'8-5'9 and at that time was probably 120 pounds.

IF there's something mathematical to it -- and I don't know enough about the numbers to say if there is or isn't -- it might mean the events are not independent. For example, I suppose an ace on a 150-yard par-3 is more likely than one on a 200-yard par-3 due to the tighter dispersion of shots hit into it. But I don't know if that's true or not. However, this might mean that "given that someone just aced this hole, it's more likely we're on a hole where such events are more likely, and thus the chances you also make an ace are increased."

Check out the first entry in my "My Swing" thread (linked in signature). Other than this one problem that you'll fix soon (and post an updated video with the better swing), yours is probably better than the one I started with. Go look at my embarrassing swing from 3+ years ago and let it give you the courage to post yours -- and get the help so many are eager to give.

Not me; I still haven't had my first eagle, including but not limited to aces. That puts me at least two behind this twosome: http://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/pair-scots-sink-aces-same-hole-in-match-play

I agree that lack of accurate information is why they're short and that the rangefinder is valuable. I disagree that it's the only missing piece: many people over-estimate how far they hit their clubs. Prior to getting my Game Golf, I thought I hit my irons about ten yards further than I do. My GIRs have gone up quite a bit now that I know, for example, that 125 yards out I should pull the 8-iron, not the 9. But you're right; even with accurate information on club distances, you still need to know the distance between your ball and your target .

I'm very worried about practicing the wrong thing -- I certainly have been guilty of that in the past (I remember spending what feels now like a lot of time practicing keeping my right leg flexed in the backswing, for example). One thing I really like about my current plan is that when I'm practicing regularly, I can take video and send it in to confirm I'm correctly working on what I'm supposed to be. If I were taking in-person lessons and knew I'd be practicing regularly, I'd want weekly check-ins and corrections. Somewhere in between might be better: bi-weekly lessons, but a brief check-in in the middle.

Do you mean you don't complete your backswing and start some of your body going forward while others are going back? Or that your backswing stops before you reach the back, and either a pause or all at once transition to forward?

Yeah, a rangefinder was one of those things I "thought" was silly, probably post-hoc because I was in graduate school and didn't want to spend the money. Then I borrowed a friend's GPS, then bought one on sale, and when I lost it, rushed to replace it. I'll even shoot a middle pin when I'm near a yardage marker now (and it's amazing how often those things are wrong anyway). Rangefinders are fun. Golf is hard enough without having to guess things that are public information.

What? Not the topic of this thread, but I cannot believe what I'm reading from you two, who I believe actually know better. Putting is the tie breaker that determines which of whoever among those who are ball striking well this week is going to place. Fairway accuracy is overrated at most courses, too.