I know we've done this before, but I'm interested to see how people have improved over the season/year:
What clubs are in your bag right now?
What handicap are you playing to?
I'm still rocking my '96 Taylor Made Titanium driver (9.5 deg, Stiff shaft), a new set of Titleist 804.OS blades and my oldschool Odyssey 550 Dual Force putter. Oh, and also a 56 deg. vokey wedge and a 58 deg. nike wedge as well.
Golfers
My game is in the shitter right now since I am making major swing changes (working on staying more on plane on my backswing).
I'm using the basic taylor made R580 driver (not the XD), 9.5, xtra stiff. Probably going to go down to stiff shaft on that, I'm not getting the kick at the tip I want.
I use the 704 CB's, the 804's were a bit big for my taste, and not quite workable enough. I might go to the 690's or mizuno mp30s or something next year.
I carry a vokey oil can 52 and 56 degree wedge, and an old Wilson staff lob wedge (59, 5 degrees bounce) that I can work a lot of magic with around the greens.
My putter is the Yes! Callie. I only use titleist pro v1x balls, I spin the v1's too much. Might try the callaway HX tour, it is supposed to be comparable to the v1x. I'm lucky because I always win enough credit in tournaments at the course that I can get golf balls for free with it. Comes in handy when you lose as many as I do...
I don't know what my real handicap is right now - I am trying to get it higher actually. I had a good run of scores last year and this year - lots of low 70s and high 60s and the career best 66. But all the sudden I am having to bust my ass to shoot 75. So I am not improving, I am doing the opposite right now. I punched in a crapload of scores in the high 70s to get my # up to a 5. Hopefully I can get it to a 7 next time. Then I can go in and be called a sandbagger extraordinaire in the club championship. I won't be doing much competetive golfing for the rest of the season due to the major swing work.
I'm using the basic taylor made R580 driver (not the XD), 9.5, xtra stiff. Probably going to go down to stiff shaft on that, I'm not getting the kick at the tip I want.
I use the 704 CB's, the 804's were a bit big for my taste, and not quite workable enough. I might go to the 690's or mizuno mp30s or something next year.
I carry a vokey oil can 52 and 56 degree wedge, and an old Wilson staff lob wedge (59, 5 degrees bounce) that I can work a lot of magic with around the greens.
My putter is the Yes! Callie. I only use titleist pro v1x balls, I spin the v1's too much. Might try the callaway HX tour, it is supposed to be comparable to the v1x. I'm lucky because I always win enough credit in tournaments at the course that I can get golf balls for free with it. Comes in handy when you lose as many as I do...
I don't know what my real handicap is right now - I am trying to get it higher actually. I had a good run of scores last year and this year - lots of low 70s and high 60s and the career best 66. But all the sudden I am having to bust my ass to shoot 75. So I am not improving, I am doing the opposite right now. I punched in a crapload of scores in the high 70s to get my # up to a 5. Hopefully I can get it to a 7 next time. Then I can go in and be called a sandbagger extraordinaire in the club championship. I won't be doing much competetive golfing for the rest of the season due to the major swing work.
So that would be 33 putts, which isn't terrible.Maiden wrote:just got back from my first round of the year. shot 20 over. I'm actually pretty happy with that since I didn't go to the range at all and only played a hand full of times last year.
didn't hit a drive till 15, thank god my putter still works. only one three put, and 4 one puts.
33 putts and 20 over. What the hell happened??
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Played today and had a 72 with two double bogeys. I have revamped my swing a bit, taking the club back more to the outside and then dropping way inside. Feels odd right now, and I am still prone to a huge push when I miss it.
On a side note, the guys I played with today kicked my ass.
My dad - who is 57 - shot a 67 with a bogey. The other fellow shot a 68, also with 2 double bogeys.
Gah.
I lost some $$$.
On a side note, the guys I played with today kicked my ass.
My dad - who is 57 - shot a 67 with a bogey. The other fellow shot a 68, also with 2 double bogeys.
Gah.
I lost some $$$.
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absolutely horrid- it was going exceptionally well through july, but as soon as I hit august I've tanked. I actually think I've been playing too much- my right wrist hurts every time I swing the club, exponentially moreso when I take a divot. I've broken it before in the same spot, so that has me a bit worried.
Nonetheless, August 6th I took a lesson with one of my local pros who has really been able to straighten things out with the rest of my family members (and thus comes heartily recommended). As you and I had discussed, it was a problem of coming outside-in-outside, thus pushing/fading everything right. However, i had learned to adapt to that and was shooting in the very low 40s/high 30s consistantly for every 9 hole practice round I'd go out for. So this pro goes about trying to fix me up and now I can't hit the ball to save my life - nor can I find my old swing. Now, granted, I'm still shooting in the mid 40s, but that is moving in the wrong direction from my earlier progress.
The 4 things I have to fix: 1) Aim. My feet are aimed directly at or slightly right of the target EVERY TIME. Something with the way my eyes are used to visualizing and lining up. So now I'm swinging with what feels like a MUCH more open stance.
2) Bringing the club back on a more vertical plane - even on my woods (which i thought was a bad move- and have subsequently been proven right, since I cannot hit a drive now without swinging down on the ball - and thus occasionally grounding my club). Again, a mental thing.
3) On my downswing, carrying my wrists much closer to my body, thus promoting the inside path I need to fix my fade - but again, also promoting massive divots shanks for me...bah
4) Holding my hip/weight turn an extra half second before releasing, so my body doesn't open up before the club arrives back at the point of impact.
Yeah...so basically he tells me to only concentrate on these things on my practice swings, but never when I'm hitting range balls or when I'm out on the course. And, of course, I can't STOP thinking about those things, and it is totally messing me up. Today I shot a 44, even though I had an eagle on a par 4. That just gives you an idea of how badly I've slipped (although it was my first ever eagle, so it wasn't all bad).
I'm about done with golf for the summer though. I go back to college in a week, so I won't be swinging a club again until December. Ah well, so much for breaking the 10 handicap barrier before the end of the summer
Nonetheless, August 6th I took a lesson with one of my local pros who has really been able to straighten things out with the rest of my family members (and thus comes heartily recommended). As you and I had discussed, it was a problem of coming outside-in-outside, thus pushing/fading everything right. However, i had learned to adapt to that and was shooting in the very low 40s/high 30s consistantly for every 9 hole practice round I'd go out for. So this pro goes about trying to fix me up and now I can't hit the ball to save my life - nor can I find my old swing. Now, granted, I'm still shooting in the mid 40s, but that is moving in the wrong direction from my earlier progress.
The 4 things I have to fix: 1) Aim. My feet are aimed directly at or slightly right of the target EVERY TIME. Something with the way my eyes are used to visualizing and lining up. So now I'm swinging with what feels like a MUCH more open stance.
2) Bringing the club back on a more vertical plane - even on my woods (which i thought was a bad move- and have subsequently been proven right, since I cannot hit a drive now without swinging down on the ball - and thus occasionally grounding my club). Again, a mental thing.
3) On my downswing, carrying my wrists much closer to my body, thus promoting the inside path I need to fix my fade - but again, also promoting massive divots shanks for me...bah
4) Holding my hip/weight turn an extra half second before releasing, so my body doesn't open up before the club arrives back at the point of impact.
Yeah...so basically he tells me to only concentrate on these things on my practice swings, but never when I'm hitting range balls or when I'm out on the course. And, of course, I can't STOP thinking about those things, and it is totally messing me up. Today I shot a 44, even though I had an eagle on a par 4. That just gives you an idea of how badly I've slipped (although it was my first ever eagle, so it wasn't all bad).
I'm about done with golf for the summer though. I go back to college in a week, so I won't be swinging a club again until December. Ah well, so much for breaking the 10 handicap barrier before the end of the summer
Funny - I've always aimed too far left, with an open stance. But I play a natural fade with my driver anyhow. Maybe you should work on playing your fade, learn to hit a controlled power fade. But if not, just think of making your downswing shallower than your backswing...that will give you a inside-to-out path...easier said than done though...
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as I said, I was learning very nicely to work with the power fade. actually, the front nine of my course is set up so that a power fade only huts you on 2 holes, and on those I can just take the extra stroke of laying up before hitting for the green without much problem. At this point in the season, however, its just more frustrating than anything. Bah.