|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 14, 2012 11:40:05 GMT -5
Anyone get out recently? I've been out and have had a few good rounds, which is new for me given how early it is in the year. Shot a 36 on the front-nine and a flippin' 45 on the back-nine. That's on a course called The Landings. It's a par-63 executive course that challenges your short game. Went out to Camden Braes with a few people from work about a week ago, or so. Shot just over 100 but I was hitting the ball well, so it turned out to be a good day anyway. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by CrocRob on May 14, 2012 12:13:14 GMT -5
I've been out 3 times so far, and I've come to the simple realization that without lessons I will never improve from what I am, which is a low-90s-on-a-good-day golfer -- just as I have been for 3-4 years now.
I'm signing up for a few lessons to see if I can improve a few things and find out what's a realistic expectation of an extended period of lessons.
I'm a big fan of Golfnow.com. We always check out what's available there before we decide where we're hitting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 15, 2012 11:21:01 GMT -5
Red, I've had maybe four lessons in my life and I found it depends on who the instructor is. I had one young guy who tried to 'reinvent the wheel' with me and, as a result, I ended up golfing terribly for weeks, until I went back to my original style. I then took a 3-lesson package at Golf Town last year from Bert Kea, who has been the Queen's U golfing coach for years now. When he was at Golf Town, Bert would work with what you already had. He used the golf simulator that mesaures several different things; club speed, position of the club face on impact, etc. However, he also focuses the camera on you and with the use of video, markers and audio commentary, he shows you what you're doing wrong and what you're doing right. All this goes on a DVD for you. Without getting longwinded on you, whenever I'm struggling on the course, I just think about what Bert told me and it makes a difference right away. My biggest things to work on: a. Keeping the backswing short (I have more control and more balls in play), and b. Swinging through the ball (gives me distance without trying to crush it). Hope you have a good instructor and that your lessons go well. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by Tankdriver on May 15, 2012 11:41:23 GMT -5
I personally haven't had the opportunity to go out yet. Back in college I ended up taking golf as an elective and it was probably the worse decision I have ever done. Since then I have never been able to use the driver or woods (the ball goes 50 yards straight and then hooks hard almost 90 degrees) which has limited me to an iron game. The positive out of this is that I can hit a 4 iron at 210-220 yards and keep it straight but is leaving me far out on the longer par 4's and 5's. When I am on I can get it mid 80's but I am usually around the 90 mark. (only get out 2 to 3 times a year).
|
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 30, 2012 7:07:45 GMT -5
TD, if you ever sort out your driver and woods I dare say you'll be a pretty decent golfer.
I've been out a lot since the first post and I'm shooting low-to-mid-90's regularly. Hitting the hybrids very well both on the fairways and the tee boxes. I use them a lot more if I'm playing on a narrow, unforgiving course. I find I just have more control with them.
Pretty good short game this year, but putting is where my scores start adding up. I heard an expression a few years back, "drive for show, putt for dough." True enough.
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on May 30, 2012 8:18:43 GMT -5
I personally haven't had the opportunity to go out yet. Back in college I ended up taking golf as an elective and it was probably the worse decision I have ever done. Since then I have never been able to use the driver or woods (the ball goes 50 yards straight and then hooks hard almost 90 degrees) which has limited me to an iron game. The positive out of this is that I can hit a 4 iron at 210-220 yards and keep it straight but is leaving me far out on the longer par 4's and 5's. When I am on I can get it mid 80's but I am usually around the 90 mark. (only get out 2 to 3 times a year). I'll give you my driving, if you give me your iron play .... I'm a low 80s golfer when I am on ... usually average about 83-84. My drives are about 280yrds on average. Which is strange, cause I use to be like you and play the safe "keep it in the fairway and use a 5 iron off the tee and get it out there about 200 yrds". I took 2 lessons last year to learn how to draw and fade the ball. Now every iron from the 5 iron to the 9 iron, start out with a lovely looking draw, and then about halfway it bends to the left ... I'm almost tempted to start aiming waaaaayyy to the right like Bubba Watson. But thankfully I have a real good wedge and putting game, which keeps me in the low 90s ... I usually get 70-80 rounds in ... this year, due to work commitments and family vacations, I can't get a membership and will probably only get 20 rounds in. Hopefully, I'll forget what I learned and get back to the old swing. |
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 30, 2012 11:30:25 GMT -5
I personally haven't had the opportunity to go out yet. Back in college I ended up taking golf as an elective and it was probably the worse decision I have ever done. Since then I have never been able to use the driver or woods (the ball goes 50 yards straight and then hooks hard almost 90 degrees) which has limited me to an iron game. The positive out of this is that I can hit a 4 iron at 210-220 yards and keep it straight but is leaving me far out on the longer par 4's and 5's. When I am on I can get it mid 80's but I am usually around the 90 mark. (only get out 2 to 3 times a year). I'll give you my driving, if you give me your iron play .... I'm a low 80s golfer when I am on ... usually average about 83-84. My drives are about 280yrds on average. Which is strange, cause I use to be like you and play the safe "keep it in the fairway and use a 5 iron off the tee and get it out there about 200 yrds". I took 2 lessons last year to learn how to draw and fade the ball. Now every iron from the 5 iron to the 9 iron, start out with a lovely looking draw, and then about halfway it bends to the left ... I'm almost tempted to start aiming waaaaayyy to the right like Bubba Watson. But thankfully I have a real good wedge and putting game, which keeps me in the low 90s ... I usually get 70-80 rounds in ... this year, due to work commitments and family vacations, I can't get a membership and will probably only get 20 rounds in. Hopefully, I'll forget what I learned and get back to the old swing. Dude, if you're taking lessons on how to hit a fade or a draw you're probably doing alright. Being a lefty, my fades are from right to left providing they end up on the fairway. If I turn the fade into an outright slice, then I'm off the fairway and into the rough ... sometimes behind some trees ... or when it's a bad day I'll be behind the only tree in the rough. But, I don't hit fades or draws deliberately. If I do happen to hit either of the two, though, I'm normally quite pleased with myself. Putting: The biggest thing with putting for me is misreading the breaks. I use the "plumb method" to determine breaks on the greens and it's usually pretty good. However, I've come across more than a few holes where I've read a break only to find out there is no break at all. But, hey ... that's golf. And if I'm having a bad round, I keep reminding myself that I'm not in the office or at home doing yardwork ... the latter of which seems to be a non-ending process. Another thing I like about golf is that the groups I normally go with all end up at the 19-th tee for, at the very minimum, a beer. Sometimes we'll have something to eat, but that stars adding up after a while. Normally, we're good for a beer or two and maybe a cigar as well. All part of the routine. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on May 30, 2012 15:44:07 GMT -5
I'll give you my driving, if you give me your iron play .... I'm a low 80s golfer when I am on ... usually average about 83-84. My drives are about 280yrds on average. Which is strange, cause I use to be like you and play the safe "keep it in the fairway and use a 5 iron off the tee and get it out there about 200 yrds". I took 2 lessons last year to learn how to draw and fade the ball. Now every iron from the 5 iron to the 9 iron, start out with a lovely looking draw, and then about halfway it bends to the left ... I'm almost tempted to start aiming waaaaayyy to the right like Bubba Watson. But thankfully I have a real good wedge and putting game, which keeps me in the low 90s ... I usually get 70-80 rounds in ... this year, due to work commitments and family vacations, I can't get a membership and will probably only get 20 rounds in. Hopefully, I'll forget what I learned and get back to the old swing. Dude, if you're taking lessons on how to hit a fade or a draw you're probably doing alright. Being a lefty, my fades are from right to left providing they end up on the fairway. If I turn the fade into an outright slice, then I'm off the fairway and into the rough ... sometimes behind some trees ... or when it's a bad day I'll be behind the only tree in the rough. But, I don't hit fades or draws deliberately. If I do happen to hit either of the two, though, I'm normally quite pleased with myself. Putting: The biggest thing with putting for me is misreading the breaks. I use the "plumb method" to determine breaks on the greens and it's usually pretty good. However, I've come across more than a few holes where I've read a break only to find out there is no break at all. But, hey ... that's golf. And if I'm having a bad round, I keep reminding myself that I'm not in the office or at home doing yardwork ... the latter of which seems to be a non-ending process. Another thing I like about golf is that the groups I normally go with all end up at the 19-th tee for, at the very minimum, a beer. Sometimes we'll have something to eat, but that stars adding up after a while. Normally, we're good for a beer or two and maybe a cigar as well. All part of the routine. Cheers. I took lessons to learn to deliberately hit drs and fades, now I can't hit it straight anymore ... Here is a tip I was taught on putting. Walk from your ball to the hole and walk past the hole. It's easier to read the break with your feet. |
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on May 31, 2012 5:39:06 GMT -5
Dude, if you're taking lessons on how to hit a fade or a draw you're probably doing alright. Being a lefty, my fades are from right to left providing they end up on the fairway. If I turn the fade into an outright slice, then I'm off the fairway and into the rough ... sometimes behind some trees ... or when it's a bad day I'll be behind the only tree in the rough. But, I don't hit fades or draws deliberately. If I do happen to hit either of the two, though, I'm normally quite pleased with myself. Putting: The biggest thing with putting for me is misreading the breaks. I use the "plumb method" to determine breaks on the greens and it's usually pretty good. However, I've come across more than a few holes where I've read a break only to find out there is no break at all. But, hey ... that's golf. And if I'm having a bad round, I keep reminding myself that I'm not in the office or at home doing yardwork ... the latter of which seems to be a non-ending process. Another thing I like about golf is that the groups I normally go with all end up at the 19-th tee for, at the very minimum, a beer. Sometimes we'll have something to eat, but that stars adding up after a while. Normally, we're good for a beer or two and maybe a cigar as well. All part of the routine. Cheers. I took lessons to learn to deliberately hit drs and fades, now I can't hit it straight anymore ... Here is a tip I was taught on putting. Walk from your ball to the hole and walk past the hole. It's easier to read the break with your feet. I'll sometimes take a look from both sides of the cup and that helps, but I don't have the patience to do this all the time. Never tired what you've suggested, but I'll give it a go this weekend. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by blny on May 31, 2012 6:39:35 GMT -5
|
|
