2010/2011

Tomhoganie

Lads

I am a newish poster but read with enjoyment about peoples ambitions and goals with golf.

I am playing the game a few years on and off and prob played about 10/12 rounds this year. I am not a member but am going to change that pretty soon.

I spent heavily(in my own opinion)this year - and am kitted out as follows:

DRIVER - Calloway BB Diablo w/ offset

Wilson Prostaff 3w,5w

IRONS - Wilson Di9 4-sw

Wedge - Regal LW 56 degree

Wilson Pro Staff Putter

My goal by end of October next year is to be a 15 handicapper (I currently play off 21 socially and regularly score mid 30 points stableford.I am joining a club for the first time next month)

Any suggestions or tips that would help me get to this goal?

I hope to play weekly in the winter, twice weekly in the spring/summer in opens and at my new home course (looks like it will be elm green)

I have a solid putting stroke and that keeps me in most rounds scoring wise - I am a bit wayward off the tee but my prob is inside 120 yards, my approach distances are always poorly read and I end up short of a lot of greens....

Wouldnt be a huge hitter - especially with Irons i seem to have a limitation on distance - which is probably a strength - fear of overswinging thing.....

any thoughts?

thegen

Tomhoganie wrote: »

Lads

I am a newish poster but read with enjoyment about peoples ambitions and goals with golf.

I am playing the game a few years on and off and prob played about 10/12 rounds this year. I am not a member but am going to change that pretty soon.

I spent heavily(in my own opinion)this year - and am kitted out as follows:

DRIVER - Calloway BB Diablo w/ offset

Wilson Prostaff 3w,5w

IRONS - Wilson Di9 4-sw

Wedge - Regal LW 56 degree

Wilson Pro Staff Putter

My goal by end of October next year is to be a 15 handicapper (I currently play off 21 socially and regularly score mid 30 points stableford.I am joining a club for the first time next month)

Any suggestions or tips that would help me get to this goal?

I hope to play weekly in the winter, twice weekly in the spring/summer in opens and at my new home course (looks like it will be elm green)

I have a solid putting stroke and that keeps me in most rounds scoring wise - I am a bit wayward off the tee but my prob is inside 120 yards, my approach distances are always poorly read and I end up short of a lot of greens....

Wouldnt be a huge hitter - especially with Irons i seem to have a limitation on distance - which is probably a strength - fear of overswinging thing.....

any thoughts?

If you are constantly coming up short it is one of two things. Either you think you can hit the ball further than you can or you are misreading distance to pin. If it is the former, go to range and find out how far you hit each iron. If the latter invest in a Laser Rangefinder.

strokes1

Hi
In 2009 I joined Elm Green with a few others to get my official Hcap (joining Elm Green was based solely on price!). Got my hcap of 24- never had a lesson and I stayed at 24 all year.

Although I had no comparison at the time I felt the club was badly run (getting on the timesheet each week was all done by "who you knew" so me and my friends had to rely on tee times early afternoon each week)!

I also felt that although not a long course the rough was too penalising for "high" hcappers and the greens werent great!

In 2010 we joined Hollywood Lakes, I took 2 lessons (from a club PGA Pro!) and dropped to 17. Now I have a game that I can work on!


so after all that my advice is this:
1) dont join Elm Green
2) get lessons- I think two lessons for most people from a good pro should be more than enough to make a difference!
3) practice

darraghjm

I was in a similar boat 2 years ago and the only advice I would give you, is get lessons and practice lots if you want to get better.
I joined a club in 2008 and got a handicap of 18.0, I played about 11 comps that year and finished the year with a handicap of 19.1. At that stage I could hit the ball well off the tee usually around 210-220 yards but i was a disaster after that, anything from 100yards in could take me 5shots to get it in the hole.

In 2009 I was given 2 shots by the club so started the year at 21.0, I played around 25 comps and only got down to 20.4 by this time last year. At that stage I knew I had to change something, so I started getting lessons with pro, I was got around 1 lesson a month between October 09 and March 10, I was also going to the range once a week usually on a thursday night to get me ready for playing golf on a saturday and sunday.
From March thru to September I stopped going to the range and just went to the practice area in the club 2 evenings a week and only went for 2 lessons in this time, one of which was on putting which I had never done before.

I started 2010 with a handicap of 20.4 and after playing all year to the end of September(when i fractured a bone in my foot) I managed to get my handicap down to 13.2.

Hopefully by doing the same things from this November(when my foot heels) to March 2011, I can start the season well and maybe lose a few more shots next year.