Attempt to break 100

spurscormac

Thats what the aim is - ok, so its not quite playing off scratch in 12 months, but I do have a job & a girlfriend and I'd like to keep both, so I'm setting my targets accordingly.

I've played golf only intermittently since I was about 15, never had an official handicap, and while not being very good, I enjoy it & don't take it seriously.
I only get out 8-10 times a year up to now, so I always paid green fees because I would never get the value from membership.

Until last week, I had a rubbish mix n' match set I've had since a kid, no 2 irons the same make, a cheap putter & cheap metal woods.

Last week I received delivery of my new Wilson ci-6 irons, and thats part of it - I want to make the purchase worthwhile & improve from a hacker of mid 50s for 9 holes to sub-100 for 18.

So I went out to play 9-holes last Monday, chose Glenlo Abbey in Galway, cos its only down the road, I didn't have time for a full 18 and it was cheap (€15). Granted, the price indicates the state of the course, soggy & fairways in need of mowing, but I just wanted to test the clubs out so wasn't too pushed.

Decided to keep a score, and was amazed to find I had 2 pars, 2 bogies, 2 doubles & 3 triples, with a worst score of 7 for those 3 holes, and a total of 50 for 9 holes.

I usually have a few horrendous 8/9/10 where my shots go all over the place, but I felt much more comfortable with the new irons.
While not yet correct with distance, which I put down to a combination of new course and irons, I just wasn't zig-zagging across the course.
I also felt confident in my short game which had gone very wrong last few times out.

So my aim is to get some practice, break 100 before Christmas, and then consider investing in a driver, wedges, and maybe even a new putter.

If anyone has any recommendations on a good value driver (sub €100), reasonable wedges and putter, please let me know.
Also - anyone know any good pros to give lessons in Galway?

slingerz

Know nothing about pro's or lessons in Galway!!

If your looking for reasonable clubs try ebay. There are some good deals out there but be aware of the forgeries

Mister Sifter

For a decent driver under 100 euro try the second hand route. That's the best way. A budget of 100 euro for a new driver is unlikely to get you anything particulary brilliant. I'd be confident you'd get a nice Callaway or other good name for the 100 mark second hand though.

Good luck with the 100 target. If you're shooting 50 for 9 holes you can definitely do it.

spurscormac

slingerz wrote: »

Know nothing about pro's or lessons in Galway!!

If your looking for reasonable clubs try ebay. There are some good deals out there but be aware of the forgeries

Thats where I got my irons, was a bit wary of them being forgeries, but thankfully they're not. And at €170 delivered, thats a bargain, compared to €299 in the local shop.

I probably won't be buying for now, but will keep my eyes open.

Graeme1982 wrote:

For a decent driver under 100 euro try the second hand route. That's the best way. A budget of 100 euro for a new driver is unlikely to get you anything particulary brilliant. I'd be confident you'd get a nice Callaway or other good name for the 100 mark second hand though.

Good luck with the 100 target. If you're shooting 50 for 9 holes you can definitely do it.

Yeah, was hoping to go sub-100 with these new clubs, just surprised at what an immediate difference they've made.
Shooting 50 for 9 holes first time out with them & on a strange course has just given me a boost in thinking I can do it quicker than I thought.

Hopefully then, an investment in better driver, woods & wedges would push me to further improvement.

I'll keep an eye on second-hand stuff though, see whats out there and price range.

Anyone recommend good driver or wedges I'd be likely to pick up 2nd hand?

stockdam

If you are ever in the Belfast are (long way from Galway but you might be) then pop into Fortwilliam Golf Club - Peter Hannah usually has a good selection of 2nd hand clubs. You could ring him and ask what he has.

Myksyk

Go into Golfstyle in the Liosban Industrial Estate in galway. They have lots of 2nd hand clubs and there are pros there with whom you could arrange lessons. Look out for a Ping G2 or equivalent as a 2nd/h driver. Also if you count how many of those 50 shots were putts you'll probably be amazed ... so getting a decent putter and practicing putting is the quickest way to reduce scores.

spurscormac

Myksyk wrote: »

Go into Golfstyle in the Liosban Industrial Estate in galway. They have lots of 2nd hand clubs and there are pros there with whom you could arrange lessons. Look out for a Ping G2 or equivalent as a 2nd/h driver. Also if you count how many of those 50 shots were putts you'll probably be amazed ... so getting a decent putter and practicing putting is the quickest way to reduce scores.

Cheers for the tip - was in there looking for irons, prior to buying from ebay & almost half price, but didn't see the 2nd hand clubs until I went in to compare my ci6s to those in the shop to verify they're not fake.
Saw some 2nd hand sets, but didn't notice drivers on their own.
Will see what they have by way of drivers next time I'm there.

I'll take a count again on the putts, but think I 3-putted on just one occasion. I'm fairly happy with my putting - almost always leave it close, but yes I will try and get practice in.

Its mostly my driving thats hit and miss, losing too many balls and costing shots by having to drive again.
So in time I'd like to get a semi-decent driver and a couple of lessons then to rid myself of my tendency to start straight & fade way right on my drives. this often leaves me with more difficult shots to get to the green.
I still do it bit on my irons, but while not as bad with the new clubs, on par 3s makes it hard to get on the green & could definitely be fixed and save me more shots.

Any more recommendations on clubs more than welcome.

The Rooster

If your budget is only €100 for a driver, then you should go the second hand route. If you up it to €150, then a range of very good new drivers come into rang. There are plenty of UK sites that sell at good prices. Personally I use onlinegolf.co.uk, and they have the following (among others):

Nike Sasquatch Sumo £130
Mizuno MX-560 £100
Cleveland Hi-Bore XL Tour Red/Gold £130
Benross VeloCT £100 (+ free putter)
Ben Sayers Benny £100
Cleveland Hi-Bore XL Gold £120
Srixon W-506 £100
Callaway X-460 £100

A lot of the above are reduced in price because they've been replaced by new models, hence the good deals available.

Myksyk

Remember too that it may be an option early on to use your 5 and 3 woods off the tee. They create less spin so are less prone to hooks and slices. They are also shorter clubs so easier to control. As a beginner there may not be a huge difference in the distance you get compared to your driver.

kagni

I have a driver that would suit if you are interested - It's a Snake Eyes 600T.

Sanke Eyes are better known for their wedges but make pretty nice irons and woods too.
It has a high loft (13 deg) which gives a bit more backspin which reduces the sidespin which causes a slice, it also has a slightly closed face which helps to square the club head and hit the ball straighter.

I got this soon after I started golfing because I used to slice fairly badly - I used it for around three years, I still hit it straight but since my swing improved I now hit it a bit too high.
It has a fairly new reg flex graphite shaft and grip, the head shows a good bit of use but it's a nice high quality club.

€60 if you are interested. For an extra twenty I'll throw in two Dunlop Loco Hybrids (3h & 4h).

slingerz

i broke 90 for the first time today! shot an 86 and could have been been a lot better!!

Pen1987

As someone who went from trying to break 100 to always breaking 80 and once-or-twice breaking 70 in a year let me say this. You dont need a driver. Be disciplined next time you go out, hit 3-wood everytime you feel you need to hit driver, and hit it softly, think 'swing-it' not 'hit-it'. Then when youre hitting approach shots to the green take one club more than you think you need, if you think its a 8-iron shot, hit 7-iron. The chances are youre not going to hit the shot perfect so if you dont catch it all, youre still going to be green-high, not 20yards short in the bunker with a dodgey little approach chip/pitch. Then when you have a chance, dont go to the driving range, practice your chipping and putting, the average 20 handicap player hits around 50 shots from within 20yards of the green, thats HALF their total shots. If you could change that to hitting 42 shots, say 32 putts and 10 chips, you'd go from playing off 20 to playing off 12... pretty big leap. And the number of chips/putts gets higher the higher the handicap...

Be disciplined.

copacetic

3 quality posts Pen1987, what took you so long to find us??

Fatswaldo

Some sound advice from several posters here. Practice the chipping & putting. If you sharpen this aspect of your game it will take several shots off your score. At this level the driving is the least important part of the game. Spend the shillins on a good 3 wood and use off the tee as well as from the fairway. With most players, theres usually only 20 or 30 meters difference between the clubs anyway but the 3 wood will be more accurate and your second shot will be easier and therefore, probably more accurate.

I buy most of my kit from onlinegolf. Always lots of good deals and choices. No bother with delivery etc.

Best of luck with it!

spurscormac

Thanks for all the tips & advice folks.
Didn't get a chance to get a round in over the weekend due to a stag in London & I've been offline since for a couple of days recovery.

I have previously used the 3-wood for driving, but tend to have a similar problem to the driver with fading right. In fact, I seem to have it for the irons too, so its something I need corrected by a few lessons.

As for chipping & putting, I agree with the idea, in fact its somewhere I've noticed I've been playing poorly the last few times I've been out.
Only issue is its very hard for someone who's a non-member to get practice in on this, as driving ranges tend to be just that, putting greens, just that, with a chipping/pitching green usually last on the list of facilities.
Only way to do it is lock the puppy in the kitchen & get a bucket out in the back garden - however, with this, there's no appreciation of the run on a chip.

Anyway, I'll keep this updated as I progress and hopefully it won't be too long before I get a score in the 90s.

PS: Did get to play urban golf on the stag - funny how accurate it is, a lot of my shots faded right just like in real life. Good fun, though to get a decent score, you need to be easing up on the alcohol, pints & mohitos certainly don't improve the shot accuracy.

Pen1987

get your shafts checked, if the ball is starting straight and gradually falling rather than slicing viciously to the right then you probably need stiffer shafts.

spurscormac

Pen1987 wrote: »

get your shafts checked, if the ball is starting straight and gradually falling rather than slicing viciously to the right then you probably need stiffer shafts.

Thanks again for the advice, but I suspect it's something to do with my grip/stance/swing as opposed to the club.
If I start straight, it tends to stay straight, but most of the time it starts heading right & keeps going, sometimes with a wicked tail off at the end.
I suspect either my grip is loosening on the downswing and the club is turning in my hands (unlikely as I don't feel any movement), or my swing is causing the club head to be turned at an angle on contact (to me a far more likely & hopefully curable explanation).
I've only ever had a couple of brief lessons, the last being 5 or 6 years ago, so I'll try that first to get it corrected.

After just investing in new irons, I really want to eliminate problems with my swing and grip before blaming it on the equipment.

Pen1987

if the ball stays straight and doesnt generally move in the air, i.e. starts to the right and just stays there without curling back or slicing more - then your swing path is off. In your case the swingpath is in-to-out.

A bad swing path with a straight shot is usually a sign of a talented golfer disguised as a pretty poor one (good sign. simple enough to fix)... next time your at the range try think of 'bowling'... you want your right hand to make the same movement as you would when youre bowling. Right handed Bowlers spin the ball to the right side of the lane then it whips back across and into the centre for a strike, your hand should work in a similar manner in golf, by the time it reaches waist-height on your follow-through the palm of your right hand should be perpendicular to the ground or even facing slightly toward the ground... with your swingpath this should turn your shot into a slight draw. I'd say two lessons with a pro would cure that fairly easily, just dont let him/her tell you that you need a complete swing overhaul and might need up to ten lessons, most casual golfers want a basic quick fix, two weeks of lessons, not a five year master plan to attempt to make them into the next Harrington, I just wish some more pros would realsie this!

kingshankly

Pen1987 wrote: »

if the ball stays straight and doesnt generally move in the air, i.e. starts to the right and just stays there without curling back or slicing more - then your swing path is off. In your case the swingpath is in-to-out.

A bad swing path with a straight shot is usually a sign of a talented golfer disguised as a pretty poor one (good sign. simple enough to fix)... next time your at the range try think of 'bowling'... you want your right hand to make the same movement as you would when youre bowling. Right handed Bowlers spin the ball to the right side of the lane then it whips back across and into the centre for a strike, your hand should work in a similar manner in golf, by the time it reaches waist-height on your follow-through the palm of your right hand should be perpendicular to the ground or even facing slightly toward the ground... with your swingpath this should turn your shot into a slight draw. I'd say two lessons with a pro would cure that fairly easily, just dont let him/her tell you that you need a complete swing overhaul and might need up to ten lessons, most casual golfers want a basic quick fix, two weeks of lessons, not a five year master plan to attempt to make them into the next Harrington, I just wish some more pros would realsie this!

some good advice here i find if you hit a few balls just with your right hand it helps your release also try swinging your club waist height in your right hand like a baseball bat this also helped me turn my right hand over better but if your slice is bad this generally means you have an out to in swingpath try bringing the club back more on an inside plain

spurscormac

Just a quick update on progress here...

Got out 3 times in December, so donating €60 in green fees in a month to my home club should hopefully help with my application for distance membership for 2009.

Anyway, on to my progress...

Didn't play particularly well the first time out, only got 9 in the second time, but hit 53, considering I opened with an 8 and 10, I was on fire that day :-)
My putting was excellent, though a few shots were lost with bad chips & pitches near the green.
Decided to invest in a cheap ,lob wedge to help me with close chips & make sure they don't run to the far side of the green.

Got out yesterday for 18, first 9 was a matchplay comp, 2 v 2, played terrible.
Next 9 was just my Dad & I, again matchplay, but I counted the shots, and managed to hit 48 :-)

I still have my slice, but am learning now to compensate for it, and the lob wedge really worked well once I'd gotten used to it.
Hopefully the new year & distance membership at home will help me get out more often & I might just break 100.

I'll just have to get out & hit a few practice shots before my round to get the rustiness out of my system, instead of spending the first 3 holes doing it.

Pen1987

fair play, nice work.

The lob wedge should stay in the bag unless absolutely nescessary, much simpler and easier to chip and run every shot with an 8-iron. I played off low-single figures for years and only used a lobber once or twice every three-four rounds. It's too easy to blade or leave short and the swing required to execute a lob is much longer and more complicated than a chip with an 8-iron.

Grab an 8-iron, grip down near where the grip meets the shaft, lean the shaft towards the hole then just a short shove type of swing where the clubhead pops into the back of the ball. A good rule of thumb, on semi-decent greens (in most private clubs) the ball should roll three times the distance it flies... obviously this changes depending on up-hill downhill circumstances.

spurscormac

Thanks for the tip - I did get that advice many years ago, and used to always play that shot with a 9-iron.
I need to get back to practice it some more.

The lob wedge I decided on because I have a tendency to leave myself with a chip over a bunker with the pin just a few feet the far side.

I found that trying to use a pitch or sand wedge, I was attempting to flatten the club face to much & ended up hitting the ball with the bottom edge and either going straight into the bunker or firing it off the far side of the green.

I ended up with a few of those yesterday, and having the lob wedge earned me par with a chip over a bunker stopping almost dead & leaving me a 4-foot poot to sink for par.

Whats needed now is more practice, better judge of club length & a consistent 18 holes - easier said than done.

1stuey1

This thread cought my eye becasue its the exact way i got back into golf. im only 21 and played as a kid every odd sunday with the old man, stopped for about 6 years and 3 months ago bought a set on ebay for 100 quid ( i got a bargain) howson full set. well my first round was poor prob becasue i never played much long golf! but iv been practising so much trying to get out at least once if not twice a week a good 18 holes and my game has improved so much. iv already got a custom putter ( major imporvment) king cobra driver new bag all the gear, looking to join a club now, and the best bit was i was out with a pro golfer ( mates brother) and he worked my handicap out to 16. now im gettin pars few bogeys and the birdie is creeping up. i think its because iv started fresh no bad habits and loving it but practice really does pay off my next step is to join a comp and hopefully win.. lol hopefully