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My Life (Sub 2.5)
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When you start believing your own bull****, you hit Corballis to be well and truly humbled – 12 over. It was a very tough wind, but the short game was poor and missing a lot of 3-4 footers. I won my first ever brand new pack of prov1s at Boards outing and it was at least an achievement to go home with, the same brand new ball I started with.
But was a great week of golf – I could see in practice I was getting that 1 over par for 6/9 with ease , there was no real brilliant golf – but I was hitting a very good shot after the bad ones – I’m at last beginning to accept that a par is a par, it doesn’t have to be regulation all the time, it is just hard to see you are getting better at making pars from non-ideal situations - maybe I need game golf (lol) , to go with the laser and GPS, who would have imagined.
Corballis is stunning at the moment – the fact you have it to yourself is part of the pleasure. The course is showing signs of all the play it has had over the winter – the divot situation is as bad as I have ever seen it , ended up playing 4 shots from deep divots in one round – sad , the urban legend is, that people treat Corballis poor, because it is not their own course and it is public.
Ok , it is a public course – but you would imagine most golfers playing winter links golf , understand golf – to play Corballis , you need to understand golf.
Anyway, got to 4 handicap – and have 1.7 more strokes to target. It still feels a massive task. Because I have never felt truly comfortable under 6. I genuinely still feel like an imposter, with the sort of self-styled OTT swing.
But recently I was looking at a few photos of top pros – many of them like Lowry, Bubba, Daly, Darcy have totally unorthodox positions and swings - now I won’t loses the run of myself , none of them – top a 3 wood, have a duck hook , then follow it with a slice.
The only positive – I’ve sort of, have to accept what I got at this stage, I know I’m not going to have a lovely swing , be a solid consistent low handicap player , I’m going to be a lad that can go out and have a 74 one day and 84 the next – I’ll never look like a real low player. I watched a scratch player the other day, so much composer, solid stance, perfect tempo, very slow in everything, looks the part. I’m still a stand up and trash it and see what happens player. It just seems all wrong for where my game is supposed to be.
Anyway – I’ve had time to reflect on why I’m scoring well at the moment. A couple of rounds in the 2 to 4 over range.
My distance with driver when not hooking – is placing me in my strong area – 9 iron to 5 iron. The wind and low temperature carry, ironically enough, is placing me in the place I like to be. 190 to 130 yards.
This means – I’m hitting many greens and bypassing the short game. When I do miss a green – I’m using a putter or a 9 iron – as I can do this on links. It is, sort of a way of scoring – but very limited and very exposed when things change a little or the short game comes into play.
I’m good from bunkers – but have little or no game from 30 to 80 yards – I can hit the odd full S/W well. Very unusual game for a low handicap player – ok I’ve said it, I’m a low handicap player now – just feels very strange to still say that.
I decided to look at what is happening in this weak area – 80 to 30, just the inconsistency in strike, divot and in particular, divot depth is ridiculous, now this is an issue over all my clubs, but on the more delicate – not full power shots – the impact of this is dramatic – disappointing and if being honest , very embarrassing.
Besides that, I’ve also started missing short ones again - basically not enough work in this area – and I can fix this, as did at end of last year.
So that seems very negative – but to me it is a positive , for so long I was going along and not knowing if I was doing the right thing or exactly where the work is needed.
If I go out and work on short game for 1 month – I think I can get another big cut by end of April.
With the weather and wind – early year cuts are a real target for me.
All the winter work – the games in wild weather – the doubts – the balls hit – the rain. You then go out and you have one of your best rounds ever, it still gives you that little buzz, the ability to still surprise yourself is a beautiful thing in golf. I hope I have that feeling a few more times.0 -
Congratulations on hitting the new low Fix. Maybe you need to drop the quest to be this guy Fix (though would be nice to be making the putts)
Read this article recently & found it interesting.
http://www.adamyounggolf.com/deliberate-practice-an-example-lesson/0 -
I always want to experience new things in golf - so after my recent good golf, I felt something was around the corner.
Didn't know it was the shanks - yes, have never had them before and hit 2 of them in a round last week and then 4 this week , then another 3 and about 12 at range. :eek:
Fascinating experience, particularly if they are totally new.
After big cuts , I tend to take the foot off the pedal and play poor for a while after, but this is hilarious.
Not sure if it I mental - feel I'm standing too close to the ball a little restricted in the body and not getting hips moving.
Got out today in the awful conditions (rain and gale) and at least was 2 over for 6 (great in weather) , with just one poor poor almost top swing. Had an eagle putt on first. This is a hole I will be targeting eagles this year , but thinking about eagles and shanks, is like the current mix we have trying to form a government with.
So in the next few weeks - I'm going to have the biggest break I have had from the game in 4 years. (about 3 weeks holiday).
Not sure how that will go - a break is no harm , let the foot come off the pedal and come back 100 % again.
I bet I probably sniff a course out somewhere.
Jesus the weather is Bad - I think when you are hitting shanks , you see easier how bad the weather is, you see how crazy you are to be out playing golf a bit more.
This game is never mastered , when you think you have it, when you gain control, when you see the shots easy - it is so easily taken away.
Yes - time for a break, time to see other places and ideas.
PS. Was just thinking on the course today about a few years ago.
I was at the ACC in Sligo, the 2 lads I was with in a 3 man team got the shanks - about a day each, It was funny for me as I had never had them. It was devastating for the team score
I was in the boozer that night , Gilroy's Enniscrone, craic was unreal. I was talking to a fairly cocky lad off 5/6 - I was a very insecure 6 (still am) at the time, I told him about my team and our problems with the shanks - he said to me straight up - "I'd get new team mates and wouldn't play with them" , (lol) - I was laughing and said straight up to him - " real golfers are ****". (:D)
I hope not to be like that at some stage.
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Got them before on a cracking course I wanted to play for years (pga in naas) worse thing was I was smashing the driver leaving wedges in (was in a society) and it came out of the blue with my wedges still get the shivers thinking about it!!
I could sort it and had to get a lesson turned out to be something simple that I never did before cant remember now and to be honest dont want too
Glad you can laugh about it Fix 0 -
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Playing after 6 pm today - and two rounds without "The word that cannot be spoken"" - in fact, signs of the form I had coming back. The driver is suddenly one of the best clubs in the bag - long in fairway, leaving 8 iron down in.
Trying to fit in as much (golf) work as possible, before the school breaks / holidays etc.
Hit the short game area for 2 hours for the first time this season - yes, I know; it has been cold and horrible the last while - but, for what I'm trying to do, you can't be going to the short game area for the first time in mid March. I know that is normal for most golfers - but , I only have 7 months to go. It is the plan to hit the early season in full form. In fairness , I've done well to almost do that already, I know I'm not sharp yet - but I am in the best shape I have been this early in year.
I decided to take an honest look at my dreaded area of 80 to 30 yards. I use a SW in this area and it has a bounce of 12. I'm a real digger with the wedge and this leads to very inconsistent strikes , I've tried everything from down the grip, stance width, lower to ground wider draw back, stand tall, ball forward/back , weight distribution - it just ends up being too many ways with so many variables - I just need to spend a few days/weeks at it, or money with a pro. I also think the ground hardening up helps all my game - It also gives me too many easy options along the ground on links courses (putter - 9 iron etc).
With ball a little more towards left foot and a sort of shallowing of my angle of attack - I can get results to the one distance (say 50 y), the i do find the high bounce then gives me problems with this swing - but when I hit one to 30 yards by changing grip positions - I find it hard to get the 50 yard set up perfect.
Aaaahhhh - it is all excuses in a way - If I went out and hit 2000 to 3000 wedges , I think I would get it , by shear dog headed determination. "Just Do It" - as Nike said.
But with this game, sometimes you need external help, you need a 3rd eye , you need a sounding board. It would transform a very weak part of my game if I could get it right. I will get it , but it is looking like mid to late April for this work - will help when the evenings come in.
On the long game - a hook is coming in when I don't give myself time to get inside - but , I know with my disconnection - this is something I will never solve - but reduce recurrence and diminish impact is a realistic goal.
Overall great signs - If I could sort 3 things - I could get serious places in late April / early May - In order- Short Putts (inside 4 feet)
- Wedges
- Snap Hook
The positive is , the first 2 there are not exactly the hardest part of the game, well they shouldn't be - will just take good old fashioned , hard graft, sore hands and blisters.
It is exciting stuff , I can see a par/near par round or lower in early May (But we know golf is never that simple)
Not sure where this burst of positivity has come from - nice change , something in the drink, the evening light, or perhaps just seeing the ball do what you expect it to do - more often.
I'll post when this something good in theory, actually materialises. 0 -
A big break from the game for me, 3 weeks.
Was an incredible few weeks in the Caribbean and one of them times in life you use to reset things. Career, life, golf, family, goals.
You have much time to think when the sea is perfect and warm, the sunsets are memorable. You are reminded that the worries we have in the first world are totally and utterly irrelevant when you see the daily struggle people have in a developing country.
We underestimate our freedoms and wealth, the ridiculousness of worrying about golf and handicaps and the shanks.
So back to worrying about the shanks. I was hoping by using enough rum and food to change everything in my body and mind - I would come back to a person not able to hit a shank, how wrong was I !
A couple of games since back and I'm hitting about 3 shanks a round - I did manage a practice round today, without a shank. This is really crazy, because anyone who has played with me, knows that me shanking a say mid iron, is very very unusual , touching on never happened before.
Anyway - is funny, but at some point it will not be funny as my handicap is going up quick and I'm also hooking everything.
So strange times, If something doesn't happen quick - I'll be off to a pro - this was not part of the plan for this part of the season.
Anyway - no need for panic - because the worst thing you can do about shanks is worry about shanks.
If all fails - I will think of that trade wind over perfect turquoise sea.
It is only a game, it is only our hobby.
(Or is that head in sand)0 -
FixdePitchmark wrote: »A big break from the game for me, 3 weeks.
Was an incredible few weeks in the Caribbean and one of them times in life you use to reset things. Career, life, golf, family, goals.
You have much time to think when the sea is perfect and warm, the sunsets are memorable. You are reminded that the worries we have in the first world are totally and utterly irrelevant when you see the daily struggle people have in a developing country.
We underestimate our freedoms and wealth, the ridiculousness of worrying about golf and handicaps and the shanks.
So back to worrying about the shanks. I was hoping by using enough rum and food to change everything in my body and mind - I would come back to a person not able to hit a shank, how wrong was I !
A couple of games since back and I'm hitting about 3 shanks a round - I did manage a practice round today, without a shank. This is really crazy, because anyone who has played with me, knows that me shanking a say mid iron, is very very unusual , touching on never happened before.
Anyway - is funny, but at some point it will not be funny as my handicap is going up quick and I'm also hooking everything.
So strange times, If something doesn't happen quick - I'll be off to a pro - this was not part of the plan for this part of the season.
Anyway - no need for panic - because the worst thing you can do about shanks is worry about shanks.
If all fails - I will think of that trade wind over perfect turquoise sea.
It is only a game, it is only our hobby.
(Or is that head in sand)
I am currently enduring a 6 month dose of the shanks myself! Nowhere near as low a handicapper as you but still it is infuriating and saps the confidence. I think I'm standing too close to the ball. My Pro thinks it's my hands coming out of the way down.
All I know is if I'm a little further away they don't come out any more so that's what I'm going with!0 -
FixdePitchmark wrote: »A big break from the game for me, 3 weeks.
Was an incredible few weeks in the Caribbean and one of them times in life you use to reset things. Career, life, golf, family, goals.
You have much time to think when the sea is perfect and warm, the sunsets are memorable. You are reminded that the worries we have in the first world are totally and utterly irrelevant when you see the daily struggle people have in a developing country.
We underestimate our freedoms and wealth, the ridiculousness of worrying about golf and handicaps and the censored.
So back to worrying about the shanks. I was hoping by using enough rum and food to change everything in my body and mind - I would come back to a person not able to hit a censored, how wrong was I !
A couple of games since back and I'm hitting about 3 shanks a round - I did manage a practice round today, without a censored. This is really crazy, because anyone who has played with me, knows that me censored a say mid iron, is very very unusual , touching on never happened before.
Anyway - is funny, but at some point it will not be funny as my handicap is going up quick and I'm also hooking everything.
So strange times, If something doesn't happen quick - I'll be off to a pro - this was not part of the plan for this part of the season.
Anyway - no need for panic - because the worst thing you can do about shanks is worry about censored.
If all fails - I will think of that trade wind over perfect turquoise sea.
It is only a game, it is only our hobby.
(Or is that head in sand)
Fixde(sic) that for you
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I am currently enduring a 6 month dose of the shanks myself! Nowhere near as low a handicapper as you but still it is infuriating and saps the confidence. I think I'm standing too close to the ball. My Pro thinks it's my hands coming out of the way down.
All I know is if I'm a little further away they don't come out any more so that's what I'm going with!
When I was about 17 years old, I went through them for 3-4 months. Like you, standing a little further away/Lining the ball up with the toe of the club and then I found I was hitting it out of the middle. So i was also probably throwing my weight forward as well.
What you need to get back is confidence and when your confidence is back, you'll naturally get back to your normal swing and everything will be right again 0 -
I am currently enduring a 6 month dose of the shanks myself! Nowhere near as low a handicapper as you but still it is infuriating and saps the confidence. I think I'm standing too close to the ball. My Pro thinks it's my hands coming out of the way down.
All I know is if I'm a little further away they don't come out any more so that's what I'm going with!
I went through 9 months of them last year and almost back to double figures. Drive straight down the middle, 9 iron out of bounds, rinse and repeat.
Balance, too much from inside, throwing shoulders at ball, heard everything. I think it was a combination of several factors that made me do it and thus harder to fix.
Finally shook them by learning to intentionally hit the ball out of the toe of my irons (DON'T address at the toe). Once I could do that I could then hit it out of the middle, comfortable in the knowledge that if they started I could just move to the toe again for the next few shots. Once I knew I could do that, I stopped hitting them.
Anyone who asks "Are you standing too close to the ball?" is worthy of a full 6-iron in the behind, if not a 5. Fully released through impact. 0 -
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Because of your blatant overuse of the word shank, you are destined to be cursed with the shanks for the rest of your life, :pac::D, enjoy.FixdePitchmark wrote: »A big break from the game for me, 3 weeks.
Was an incredible few weeks in the Caribbean and one of them times in life you use to reset things. Career, life, golf, family, goals.
You have much time to think when the sea is perfect and warm, the sunsets are memorable. You are reminded that the worries we have in the first world are totally and utterly irrelevant when you see the daily struggle people have in a developing country.
We underestimate our freedoms and wealth, the ridiculousness of worrying about golf and handicaps and the shanks.
So back to worrying about the shanks. I was hoping by using enough rum and food to change everything in my body and mind - I would come back to a person not able to hit a shank, how wrong was I !
A couple of games since back and I'm hitting about 3 shanks a round - I did manage a practice round today, without a shank. This is really crazy, because anyone who has played with me, knows that me shanking a say mid iron, is very very unusual , touching on never happened before.
Anyway - is funny, but at some point it will not be funny as my handicap is going up quick and I'm also hooking everything.
So strange times, If something doesn't happen quick - I'll be off to a pro - this was not part of the plan for this part of the season.
Anyway - no need for panic - because the worst thing you can do about shanks is worry about shanks.
If all fails - I will think of that trade wind over perfect turquoise sea.
It is only a game, it is only our hobby.
(Or is that head in sand)0 -
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When I was about 17 years old, I went through them for 3-4 months. Like you, standing a little further away/Lining the ball up with the toe of the club and then I found I was hitting it out of the middle. So i was also probably throwing my weight forward as well.
What you need to get back is confidence and when your confidence is back, you'll naturally get back to your normal swing and everything will be right again
your bang on with regards to confidence i found mine was shot completely. lessons seem to have made the <censored/> worse as well.
Simply standing further away is going to be my modus operandi for the moment anywayI went through 9 months of them last year and almost back to double figures. Drive straight down the middle, 9 iron out of bounds, rinse and repeat.
Balance, too much from inside, throwing shoulders at ball, heard everything. I think it was a combination of several factors that made me do it and thus harder to fix.
Finally shook them by learning to intentionally hit the ball out of the toe of my irons (DON'T address at the toe). Once I could do that I could then hit it out of the middle, comfortable in the knowledge that if they started I could just move to the toe again for the next few shots. Once I knew I could do that, I stopped hitting them.
Anyone who asks "Are you standing too close to the ball?" is worthy of a full 6-iron in the behind, if not a 5. Fully released through impact.
Learning to hit out of the toe seems to be a longer term solution really! standing further back from the ball seems a lot simpler and quicker!0 -
Learning to hit out of the toe seems to be a longer term solution really! standing further back from the ball seems a lot simpler and quicker!
I wanted a long term solution, believe me!
Standing further away only helps if you are already standing too close to the ball, which a lot of people with this condition are not. If you are standing correctly already and something else is pushing your club-head heel closer to the ball at impact then you've just introduced an additional setup error to get around an existing and still unaddressed swing flaw. Plus standing further away will probably cause you to swing on a flatter plane which is not good for this condition.
Anyway, I didn't say the word and I'm not going to think/talk/write/read about this topic any more. Good luck with sorting it out! 0 -
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Loving the posts - I show an incredible level of naivety at times in certain areas of golf for a lad trying to get to the handicap I'm trying to. I didn't know people were so serious about not even mentioning the unmentionables. :P
I'm actually enjoying it, the fear, the challenge, the uncertainty of it all - I'll come back to you in 3 weeks and my song may have changed. 
Got out today for 14 - played without one shank , I'm beginning to think it was an over the top action if that is possible ?
I seem to be bringing the ball back around from the pull and concentrating on a little drop into slot prior to attacking ball.
I played well but scored horrendously (8 over for 14) - everything is just rusty, I have faith - I did sense I was trying to stand further from the ball - but I'm also working on swing path - so the hazards mentioned above of changing too much is true.
Anyway - today wasn't about score - it was about rebuilding.
All good
DO NOT CLICK
Going out to buy these if things not sorted in 3 weeks
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-2016-F2-SE-ANTI-SHANK-IRONS-4-PW-STEEL-SHAFTS-NONE-SHANK-GOLF-CLUBS-/3317758406280 -
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FixdePitchmark wrote: »
Loving the posts - I show an incredible level of naivety at times in certain areas of golf for a lad trying to get to the handicap I'm trying to. I didn't know people were so serious about not even mentioning the unmentionables. :P
I'm actually enjoying it, the fear, the challenge, the uncertainty of it all - I'll come back to you in 3 weeks and my song may have changed.
Got out today for 14 - played without one shank , I'm beginning to think it was an over the top action if that is possible ?
I seem to be bringing the ball back around from the pull and concentrating on a little drop into slot prior to attacking ball.
I played well but scored horrendously (8 over for 14) - everything is just rusty, I have faith - I did sense I was trying to stand further from the ball - but I'm also working on swing path - so the hazards mentioned above of changing too much is true.
Anyway - today wasn't about score - it was about rebuilding.
All good
DO NOT CLICK
Going out to buy these if things not sorted in 3 weeks
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-2016-F2-SE-ANTI-SHANK-IRONS-4-PW-STEEL-SHAFTS-NONE-SHANK-GOLF-CLUBS-/331775840628
Anything is possible Fix, as the old saying goes, there are a hundred and one ways to hit a shank, but the end result is the same.
It usually is easily sorted with a visit to your pro and it helps if he utilises a launch monitor and high speed camera, but for some they prefer to suffer in silence;):pac:0 -
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So got out for 14 today, at times it was horrible squally showers and a hard cross wind, then a sudden burst of calmness at times. I was 6 over for first 7 (had a lost ball) – but level for the next 7. So a run of decent golf with not even a hint of a shank. I hit one bad drive and one bad 5 iron, but besides that, there were signs of a game coming back. Last hole 170 yards into a cross wind, I hit a perfect 6 iron to 20 feet and holed it – played that hole, in conditions, about as well as I can or ever will play golf.
Two more rounds and my game should be there.
This post marks a daft post – 10,000 posts on boards and 99 % were total rubbish. It has been fun, but an awful waste of time and effort (lol). I have met some terrific people and had incredible golfing experiences as a result.
If I had taken a putt, for every one of those posts, what would my handicap be now?
I’ve enjoyed the last few years on here. I learnt so much about a game I knew very little about really. I loved golf, but was very inexperienced. You realise how important experience in golf is, when you have a bit of it. The great thing about golf is how you can almost always improve once the body holds up. Even if the body fails, you can be clever with your game too.
During the week I watched a bit of J.B Carr (over 60 interclub), I genuinely found it inspiring, guys over 60 still having fun, but being competitive. It reminded me what the game is about, friendship, fun and exercise. Chasing scores and targets in golf can be somewhat perfunctory.
If you play golf, just to improve all the time, it sort of misses the point. I guarantee that, the men of 60 + were not turning to each other going, do you remember the time that you were off 9, or do you remember the time you had a 78.
I was listening and talking to them, they were talking about life, getting away with the lads, having a few pints after, the wisdoms that young people need about the world and the insignificance of some of the concerns that you have, become all too apparent.
The flag at the clubhouse was once again at half-mast today.
So this will definitely be the last golf project I take on – I’ve done enough, said enough, practiced enough, tried enough, written enough, thought enough, doubted enough, achieved enough (after this target).
At times during the last few years, I realised that my ability in this game was very limited, the amount of effort I had to put in was way too much and time consuming. I enjoyed the challenge and it was nice when easy progress was there to be made.
But you get to a point – when you see that you are very very close or at your limits.
At times in the various projects to improve, I was wondering why I was pushing it so far, I realised I was trying to prove something to someone, but in reality, there is no someone – it is just your inner self.
Now – there is not a chance in hell I am throwing the towel in – I have 5 months, I accept I am speaking the language of weakness, this in reality can be the start of a downfall in golf.
But, acceptance and being happy with your game is a point in time that with the dreaded experience, you realise is a beautiful and delicate moment.
So, I’ve clearly had time to reflect lately about it all – you sort of realise that once you have made yourself happy with your game, that is it, that is the real secret to enjoy this incredibly brilliant sport. A game for life, a game that gives you your little space on the earth, when you can be with friends or get away from it all.
When the flag is at half mast, you don’t go, do you remember that 6 iron he hit into 18. You go, he was a great Dad, friend, he was good company, good fun, he loved his golf.
So for all the practice and chasing scores – it is the time by the ocean with close friends and a few pints after I will remember about this game. The seas, the sounds, the sights, the sun.
A number is just a number.
(10,000) 0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_oe1YoGsVY
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