The 70's are lurking... (post 193)

puttnfool · 2017-05-17T23:50:53+00:00

Well, I got out for a twilight round this evening (can't be $9 for 18 holes on the cart). I felt like I played alright most of the round, but the 2nd half w...

Provisional

Looking for positives, missing fairways does allow for lots of scrambling practice.
I think I've improved my hybrid and iron play from deep rough. If I could only drive further, I'd be bomber-gouger, instead I'm bunter-gouger.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone."

Bought another golf help book. Lots of correctional tips for flaws. The tip for topping driver shots like I've been doing was to avoid changing spine angle or standing up on back swing. My Barkley impersonation.
It seems to work at the range for me if I can avoid relapse into old habit.

Next outing will tell. Hopefully I'll find more fairways. Maybe even help the abysmal gir stat? We'll see. Looked back at old cards where I kept stats , my worst score , lately I hit most fairways. Putting and approach shots killed me. I've been working on improving both since then, and now hope to see driver behave better too. Come on 80s
If this doesn't work, I'll have to buy more clubs!???
🎱 corner pocket'

puttnfool

Made it out today to play with lefty (AKA PA-PLAYA). I had a blast. Was a much different course than I'm used to. Managed a 92 with only 3 GIR. The wedge game kept me in respectable numbers, but my tee game could definitely use some work and I would need a few rounds to really figure out those greens.

Looking forward to making in out for a round in Va Beach with rsvman in a couple of weeks.

PA-PLAYA

puttnfool

Had a great time! Thought you managed your game very well, not many guys play all 18 holes there with the same ball they started with. 😉

You've got a very solid short game, you've got good touch on the greens, you managed several awkward pitch shots quite well from tricky situations. Just seems like to me that you need to find a driver that you can hit with some confidence. But you managed things fairly well today without using it much at all.

Great to get out with you!

professor

puttnfool Well done Jeremy! I know the course (a wee bit) and to come out of your first round there without a bloody nose? You did just fine! If you let it get under your skin, train-wrecks are all over that property and those greens make quick bogeys out of GIR's. Glad to hear you guys had fun!

puttnfool

Thanks, @professor. I just tried to hang around and not let myself get killed. I did, in fact, 3 putt at least one GIR so I was a tad miffed about that, but you're right, those greens are treacherous the first time out.

I went to the range tonight with my two youngest kids. Had a blast. I think the 13 y/o boy is going to take to the game just fine. He's hitting his driver about 160ish now and he's getting a little more consistent with everything in the bag.

I hit my practice driver (my DIY whippy driver @ 46") about 20 times and then switched to my driver. I think I'm gonna cut it down to 44.25" or so and see if that helps my consistency a little. Lefty can attest to the driver being my weak spot. If I could figure it out and get it to the point where the drives are acceptable, then I will be one step closer to some 70's rounds.

PA-PLAYA

puttnfool

Don't let your frustrations keep you from figuring it out. The only way it'll remain a weakness is if you choose to continue shying away from using it. I like the idea of trimming down the shaft and seeing if that'll help. Also... a good swing thought is to try to keep that face going down the target line just a little longer after impact. It'll help promote a more square face through the hitting area.

puttnfool

Just trimmed it. It's a hair over 44" now with the grip. Was hitting it well at the range choked down a bit so this should help.

puttnfool

Shot another 90 today. Played a course I'd never played before. Just a 9 hole course so the front was one set of tees and the back was a different set on the same holes.

Shot a 40 on the first nine and a 50 on the second nine. Took a 10 on a par 4 with a 3 putt, lost ball, and 3 shots out of two sand bunkers. Yeah, it was that bad. Also, had a triple and a double on the 2nd nine.

I was scrambling pretty well, I guess. I think I had 7 U&D on the day. Only 2 GIR on the day, but 2 putted them both.

I hit the driver much better today than previously.

Provisional

puttnfool what opinion did you get on your 44"driver or did you use another ? Fairways hit better ?
I went to University of Alabama so I can't count higher than 8.???? Helps my blowups.

Not many sand traps on courses and this year they stay full of water it seems . I used to hit them a lot when I lived I NC. I'm still good for a double on them when I can find one .
I still think you'll see 70s on your card soon
Best luck 2u.

puttnfool

I think I was 3/5 with the driver. Might have been 2/4 or 2/5. I can't remember. Either way, my misses were playable. The only OB I had was a 3wd that I didn't commit to and left it hanging out to the right.

puttnfool

Hitting the driver better. I didn't hit all fairways today, but they were all in play... except one. Same problem... I just didn't commit to the shot and left it right. Still much better than previous performances before the trim.

Provisional

puttnfool I think trimming my G15 shaft to 45" did help my accuracy a LITTLE, but possibly at expense of some ? distance . Hard to quantify for me, as I replaced the broken Ping shaft with new aftermarket one, shortening it 0.75 inches from ping stock 45.75" length. Lately, I also usually grip down on the club about an inch. Much straighter now , but doesn't cure my topping issue .
Retired old basta#ds scramble , aka ROB, tomorrow at the Pine Creek GC, so I'll see if I can eliminate that flaw.

Provisional

Played my first 4 man /lady scramble tournament in the Retired Old Bastar? $ / Bitc#es. "ROB" . 39 of us geezers, most in our late 70s, quite a few 80s. Fun thing only, blind draw with one "A" player captain at least per flight . 9 under for us, not very good at all , but nice fun morning . No way in this format to tell much about any progress with my play ,but was able to use my ball , several decent drives and actually thought our team drove ball mostlt pretty well , but we had no big hitters.
Flubbed my first drive , oh no! Hit the ground, not my ball. Made up for it with a good fw strike out of deep rough with my 4 hybrid, my first shot thst the team used. Redemption !
Had a good drive on #17 to remember; it's a shot parr 4 with sharp dogleg left and has big pines blocking attempts for short cut corner drives, but a medium height oak sits right on the inside corner of the dog leg that tempts one to try to hit over, which I always try but always fail. Did it today & left ball centered in fw for all our PW approach shots. Happy, happy, happy.

My following drive on #18 was also perfect for out second shots, 55 yd. wedge to green.

Winning team had a double eagle and had couple of longer drivers.
My 5 iron played well , so happy for that . Abysmal putting , ugg.
None of the team's second shots to # 9 green made it , mine and my cart partner both flubbed into pond. I took my one alloted mulligan there & put a 147 yd 7 iron on just above the hole. The team captain almost fainted. Me too.
Thirty one bucks & it included closest to hole pot $, cart ,green fee, nice pork chops lunch with desert.

rsvman

Provisional Sounds like a good time. Glad you hit some good shots, too.

Provisional

rsvman
Nice time was had by all type of day.

I had read the latest golf ball thread here , went by Play It Again before tournament, found a neon green Vivid Volvic , picked it & several more simular colored other brands , played the $ 0.37 Volvic & ,loved it until I crushed a big sliced drive on #8 somewhere mia. Four guys playing best ball anyway, so no problems , mate.

When were loading our bags into our vehicles I saw my usual playing golf buddy Jim from playing another flight , putting a bright green ball into his bag; he'd found it beside his errant drive ball on that hole. He gave it back, he said he'd only charge me PIAS price! Couldn't believe coincidence that the one guy I have ever played with out of all 39 players would have that happen, & also it wasn't OB .
👍

puttnfool

Went out yesterday with the wifey. Had a kink in my neck and couldn't turn to the left all day, but didn't think much of it since I don't need to turn my head that far anyway. Bad move. Couldn't get a full back swing because of it. All my drives were going right. Like, beginner's slice, high and right.

Took a couple holes to adjust to it. Took back to back doubles on 1&2. Hit the green on short, par 3, third. Landed about 10' short and the damn thing spun back to about 30'. Three putted it. Went to the fourth, a slightly uphill par four. Hit a very solid 3wd to about 70 yards out. Hit SW to almost pin high, but about 20' right... on the green. Nailed it for birdie. Par'd the 5th with a routine U&D. The rest was pretty bad.

Luckily, the rain came in by the 11th hope so I got a rain check and will try the course one more time, on Monday, before I leave here on Friday.

puttnfool

Played Monday. Kink in neck gone. Hitting driver MUCH better after trimming. Hole 1 was playing around 470ish and I hit my 2nd from 211. Ended up pin high, left, and pitched up for a routine par. The rest of the day wasn't all that great. The irons weren't participating. It was either fat or pushed all day.

Provisional

Always good to open a round with nice long drive

269 yd from 44" Driver sounds good too.
👌

Provisional

Got in 9 this PM at Pine Creek GC .Shot 8 over kindo sortof. Played two balls, counted score on first, mostly???Brumuda rough covers ball almost every hole now. I was lucky today though . Only Lost a wet one to KING NEPTUNE on 9.
Toe hit driver on #1, hit 48.5* Eye2+ W over flag two yds off back of green . Doubled it.

Head wind on #2 178 yd parr3, used 5 hybrid today instead of 5 iron. Perfect flight little baby draw toward pin hitting 10-20 in front, ended just off back side, parr. Should have stayed with my 5 iron .

Brand new green rework on 3 ,very nice btw. 128 yd GPS but looked like 8 iron to me, which got me pin high 15 ft putt, parr. Hey even parr 3 hole birdy putts are happys for an old hacker .

Crap short drive in fw tho on #4. Longish straight parr4. Missed 6 iron approach left, Again &$@! Bogy

Missed #5 fw right on hard dogleg left with 5 wood. Thit!
Didn't matter, old Ping W put it close to green , parr.

Nice low baby draw off tee on 6.☺ with pretty high trajectory pw on, parr, missed birdy again. Parr.

Good drive on #7 with high draw to left side, dribbled into rough . Good lie allowed for a sweet 5 Wood strike, steel shafted Cobra SZ ? club given me by Mr. Hootinfrack, which also dribbled a touch left of fw. SW to green , parr. Note to self , quit missing birdy putts!

Took mulligan drive on 8. Forgitaboutit on first one. Decided not to layup today. 208 to other side to clear pond. Hell yeah my old reshafted Tmag 3 wood made it.
More to follow supper calls... overshot green with sw. Bogy
Double?...

Finally, on #9, cut a nice 5 iron to a kindo flat layup location in front of pond. Left 148 to pin, came up short but dry. Bogy. Second ball that I was playing ended wet with fat 6 iron.

Didn't keep score card , just logged into my watch, which had an 8 over, 44, which if extrapolated to 18 holes, beats my usual mid high 90s. Still reworking iron aiming and swing path but seeing some improvement albeit small and having to be satisfied ??? playing really short senior tees.
Sorry for long epistle but I had a nice cooler afternoon of duffing in Dixie wanted to share .

professor

puttnfool Jeremy, I've got some bad news for you on your wish to have it "all come together". Be careful, it just might happen. I've been there, done that. I've got that handful of rounds breaking 80. That seems like eons ago. Yeah, once in a blue moon I could find what I call "the slot"; that my arms let that club drop down into that magic zone - the on plane swing plane. But, if/when you find it, it might just disappear as quickly and you'll then be faced with even greater amounts of disappointment. Just me - but, that's why I only recommend that you focus on process and let scores be an academic endeavor.

Martee

professor

But, if/when you find it, it might just disappear as quickly and you'll then be faced with even greater amounts of disappointment. Just me - but, that's why I only recommend that you focus on process and let scores be an academic endeavor.

Good observation...jmo

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