Confessions of a hacker

alxmorgan

Hey,

Enjoyed ajcurrys thread on breaking 90 so much I said I`d do my own..so here goes


History
Playing 3 years-ish
Spent year one hacking around and getting used to the game.
Was ok for a beginner but as can often happen in trying to get better I got much worse
Joined a club (East Clare) 2 years ago and have been playing a good amount since.
Get out most weekends. Started with 18 and finished 18.0 after year one with one cut and 3 0.1s.
Now off 19 (18.5) due to a seemingly never ending series of 0.1s

alxmorgan

Aim for the year
Get to 16 which seems a long way away now.
Feel like I can play to it as I feel I have most shots in the bag. Need to stop scratching holes which causes me to throw away promising rounds
Usual round at the mo is in the 90s
Best round ever was 84 for 41pts in Jan of last year. Hadn`t picked up a club for 7 weeks and just happy to be out when I did that. ( lesson there)
Putter was red hot that day and dropped everything from 10 and less pretty much (another lesson there re practice )

plumber77

Any lessons yet?Or have you any goals like breaking 80..

alxmorgan

Honest assessment of my game right now

Driving C+
Fairways C-
Hybrid B-
Long irons C
Mid irons C
Pitching C
Chipping C
Putting B
Bunker C+

Hard to do this as it varies so much

My putting has improved recently as I re-read Golf is not a game of perfect and watched a Rotella/Faxon dvd on putting. I stopped caring so much and trying to hard and its helped.
I just read, judge pace and let her go

Chipping is very variable. Three weeks ago I wouldn`t used my 60 degree and my gap wedge was on fire. Now its the reverse.

I used to slice a lot when driving but got my driver cut down two inches and much more confident as a result. Hit 11/13 fairways in Mahon 2 weeks ago which is amazing for me. Not long off tee but Ill take short stuff every time. Standing further from ball these days which means that slice mostly gone

alxmorgan

plumber77 wrote: »

Any lessons yet?Or have you any goals like breaking 80..

Lessons
Beat me to it

2 so far. With Ryan McCann in Nenagh (recommend him btw - dead on and knows his stuff)
First last year pre_baby and issue was locking right knee which meant over the top land and slice

Second two weeks ago and was told I needed to stand further from ball as too close and again causing OTT
Change is slow to come as slice has mostly stopped but I find Im hitting thin on a lot of irons now (thoughts welcome)



Goals
Mate of mine has a goal of not shooting higher than a 6 when out. Sounds good to me but maybe a bridge too far right now (hes off 16)

Goal 1 - was to be off 16 by end of yr
Ill stay with that even though Im going wrong direction

Goal 2 - scratch free rounds
very rare for me but need to stop the blowups

Goal 3 - get in the mix for a prize
Either in club or society. Just get close would be nice

Goal 4 - Break 85
Would love to say 80 but lets start with equalling my best score of 84 and go from there

plumber77

I like that one,not shooting higher than 6.Actually a new memer in nenagh myself.Off 13 but very inconsistent.I don't think I can help you out with the current problem of thinning shots but maybe its just a by product of the changes you are making so stick with it till you go back to him.Never had lessons myself but gonna to have to if I want to progress any further.Have been hovering around 13/14 for a few years now.16 is still a realistic goal I think.One of those perfect days we all dream about would knock a fair dent into 19.

0161allin

Your go lf game sounds a lot like mine, same problems getting good scores but could be better if could stop scratching holes...
Had 35 points tuesday morning with 2 scrathes very annoying as there just stupid mistakes.. i find it can be hard going sometimes when you have a good score front 9 of 20 pts or something and playing v well seems to get in on me and falls apart not long after. Had played 11 holes in portarlington recently and managed to find myself just 3 over but trying to keep the score card going was the killer scratched the 12 then head dropped and never got it back, but seem to learn something evrytime this happens or every round i play i always discover something,mentally golf is tough..
As for topping or thinning the ball my pro in killenard told me not to worry as was just a matter of time because standing to close was killing me and recorrected my posture and keeping head in good poistion was very much key as if not correct at address you have no chance, eventually i found the topping or thinning started to vanish, find my divots are to deep now..

dines08

I'm playing just over a year and a half. Playing off 14 currently, the best advice I can give you is to identify the parts of the game which cost you the most shots. For me it was off the tee losing balls which I have almost eliminated and 3 putting. I've gotten that down to a 1.9 average. How I know my weak areas is due to an application available for smart phones which tracks your casual rounds. Golfshot is the app and it's completely free. I'm in no way affiliated to the company. After a couple of rounds it'll highlight your weak areas. Then you've just got to put in the time to improve them. Between driving and putting I took an average of 10-12 shots off my game. The app stores my stats which I can check after every round. Currently at 57% FIR, 49% GIR, 1.91 putts per hole, 2.13 putts per GIR. Average 3.4 on par 3, 4.6 on par 4 and 5.2 on par 5. That type of info as well as others is very nice to have if you are willing to work on it. Best of luck

getcover

alxmorgan wrote: »

History
Playing 3 years-ish
Spent year one hacking around and getting used to the game.
Was ok for a beginner but as can often happen in trying to get better I got much worse
Joined a club (East Clare) 2 years ago and have been playing a good amount since.
Get out most weekends. Started with 18 and finished 18.0 after year one with one cut and 3 0.1s.
Now off 19 (18.5) due to a seemingly never ending series of 0.1s

It's comforting to hear that that has happened to someone else as well!

I played a few games last year with borrowed clubs, got my own set (Christmas Present) and seemed to be doing ok. Got a few lessons, and I have got worse since!
I've decided to spend this year just playing as often as I can, was going to join a club, but decided it's best if I just ignored handicaps and all that, and just tried to get used to playing. I got that Golfshot app as well, and it's depressing!
My main problem is driving, it's all over the place - right, left, short - can't get a decent drive at all. Putting is either pretty good or crap (had 35 putts on a round 3 weeks ago, had 51 putts last week).
Chipping is probably the best part of my game - chipped a shot from about 20 feet of the green to 2 feet from the hole last round, 1 putt for par, and proceeded to 5 putt as the ball lipped the hole and rolled away down the hill of the green, and rolled back down to me on following 3 putts.
I'm stuck at around the same score all the time, don't seem to be able to get scores lower. I always end up with 1 or 2 10s/11s on my round, mostly due to driving.
Frustrating but I always feel that I'm finally going to get it right, I practice my swing at home and am gradually getting a rhythm going. Going to get a lesson next week concentrating just on driving/swing.
Even though it's frustrating and downright demoralising at times, I always feel that everything will come together in my next round, and I'll break the magic 100 barrier!

PARlance

Good luck with this Alx,

I found mine has helped to push me along to improve a little anyway. They may have to create a sub forum for us Hackers/Beginners

Set yourself a few goals and that'll get the ball rolling.

All the best

alxmorgan

plumber77 wrote: »

I like that one,not shooting higher than 6.Actually a new memer in nenagh myself.Off 13 but very inconsistent.I don't think I can help you out with the current problem of thinning shots but maybe its just a by product of the changes you are making so stick with it till you go back to him.Never had lessons myself but gonna to have to if I want to progress any further.Have been hovering around 13/14 for a few years now.16 is still a realistic goal I think.One of those perfect days we all dream about would knock a fair dent into 19.

Cheers for that - I did have a perfect day once. Week before I walked in after 9 in a comp at home club. First time playing with 3 sound lads but I had 7 pts after 9 and the 9th was the killer. Skulled ball into water and dropped again and did same (with a bloody wedge for god sake). Clubs and all nearly followed.
Other lads had even stopped the unlucky comments. It was car crash stuff.
First and only time walking.

Hit the range hard that week and worked on getting back to basics.
Played Ballykisteen the following week with a mates society and had 41 pts. Next best was 38. No prizes for guests of course

Still showed I have potential at least

alxmorgan

0161allin wrote: »

Your go lf game sounds a lot like mine, same problems getting good scores but could be better if could stop scratching holes...
Had 35 points tuesday morning with 2 scrathes very annoying as there just stupid mistakes.. i find it can be hard going sometimes when you have a good score front 9 of 20 pts or something and playing v well seems to get in on me and falls apart not long after. Had played 11 holes in portarlington recently and managed to find myself just 3 over but trying to keep the score card going was the killer scratched the 12 then head dropped and never got it back, but seem to learn something evrytime this happens or every round i play i always discover something,mentally golf is tough..
As for topping or thinning the ball my pro in killenard told me not to worry as was just a matter of time because standing to close was killing me and recorrected my posture and keeping head in good poistion was very much key as if not correct at address you have no chance, eventually i found the topping or thinning started to vanish, find my divots are to deep now..

Rotella does some good stuff on getting out of your own way when in a streak. Recommend a read of his stuff. Mostly common sense but good all the same.

Ive done the same - last week in Fernhill was 22/10 pt split
More on that later

Keano

alxmorgan wrote: »

Cheers for that - I did have a perfect day once. Week before I walked in after 9 in a comp at home club. First time playing with 3 sound lads but I had 7 pts after 9 and the 9th was the killer. Skulled ball into water and dropped again and did same (with a bloody wedge for god sake). Clubs and all nearly followed.
Other lads had even stopped the unlucky comments. It was car crash stuff.
First and only time walking.

Hit the range hard that week and worked on getting back to basics.
Played Ballykisteen the following week with a mates society and had 41 pts. Next best was 38. No prizes for guests of course

Still showed I have potential at least

I HATE the 9th in East Clare. Did say HATE? I mean it. That hole and me have issues that need resolving

Bandana boy

4 weeks ago my aim was to be a bit more consistent of the tee box, to reduce the number of 3-putts and to remove the 2-3 scratches from my card

I am playing this saturday and my goals are to just once hit one drive straight !!! and to improve on last outings 14 scratched holes !!

Keano

Bandana boy wrote: »

4 weeks ago my aim was to be a bit more consistent of the tee box, to reduce the number of 3-putts and to remove the 2-3 scratches from my card

I am playing this saturday and my goals are to just once hit one drive straight !!! and to improve on last outings 14 scratched holes !!

Oh I feel your pain. Have had plenty of those days!

God I love threads likes these. No need to suffer in silence

PARlance

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Oh I feel your pain. Have had plenty of those days!

God I love threads likes these. No need to suffer in silence

The Mods could end up moving these threads to the Personal Issues forum
Feel your pain Bandana

SEORG

I'm a member in East Clare also, off 16.9 at the moment.

I find it one of the toughest courses to score on. You can get punished very severely for a shot that is not that bad. I seem to score better away from East Clare. Maybe it's just from playing there too often that I see the danger before the middle of the fairway.

My worst holes out there this year are 9,10 & 14. I now use the 5 wood off 14th tee, it's short enough to get there with a mid iron or less.

I would take a five on 9 any day of the week.

Parred the last 4 on Sunday to make my score a respectable 33pts.

I have a goal similar to yourself, I use the GolfShot app too, great for the stats.

Best of luck.

plumber77

alxmorgan wrote: »

Cheers for that - I did have a perfect day once. Week before I walked in after 9 in a comp at home club. First time playing with 3 sound lads but I had 7 pts after 9 and the 9th was the killer. Skulled ball into water and dropped again and did same (with a bloody wedge for god sake). Clubs and all nearly followed.
Other lads had even stopped the unlucky comments. It was car crash stuff.
First and only time walking.

Hit the range hard that week and worked on getting back to basics.
Played Ballykisteen the following week with a mates society and had 41 pts. Next best was 38. No prizes for guests of course

Still showed I have potential at least

Don't you just hate the silence when the unlucky comments stop.Everybody knows you're close to blowing your top :mad:

alxmorgan

plumber77 wrote: »

Don't you just hate the silence when the unlucky comments stop.Everybody knows you're close to blowing your top :mad:

Ya its like reality tv...best watched through your fingers.
Funny thing is some of my best golf has been played after I lost the will to live

If I could learn not to care but still concentrate fully that would be a great start

alxmorgan

SEORG wrote: »

I'm a member in East Clare also, off 16.9 at the moment.

I find it one of the toughest courses to score on. You can get punished very severely for a shot that is not that bad. I seem to score better away from East Clare. Maybe it's just from playing there too often that I see the danger before the middle of the fairway.

My worst holes out there this year are 9,10 & 14. I now use the 5 wood off 14th tee, it's short enough to get there with a mid iron or less.

I would take a five on 9 any day of the week.

Parred the last 4 on Sunday to make my score a respectable 33pts.

I have a goal similar to yourself, I use the GolfShot app too, great for the stats.

Best of luck.

10 is a killer for me. The number of times Ive stood on tee and tried to play my normal shot which is a slice/fade and ended up hooking/drawing is unreal
And that bloody green

14th I dont mind - usually score ok

2nd is tough shot so early on
4th I find tough to score on
7th very long
13th for obvious reasons

tough enough course alright but it does stand to you as you say

Got golfshot just last week so stats will tell over time

alxmorgan

ajcurry123 wrote: »

The Mods could end up moving these threads to the Personal Issues forum
Feel your pain Bandana

Dr Phil would have a field day

alxmorgan

dines08 wrote: »

I'm playing just over a year and a half. Playing off 14 currently, the best advice I can give you is to identify the parts of the game which cost you the most shots. For me it was off the tee losing balls which I have almost eliminated and 3 putting. I've gotten that down to a 1.9 average. How I know my weak areas is due to an application available for smart phones which tracks your casual rounds. Golfshot is the app and it's completely free. I'm in no way affiliated to the company. After a couple of rounds it'll highlight your weak areas. Then you've just got to put in the time to improve them. Between driving and putting I took an average of 10-12 shots off my game. The app stores my stats which I can check after every round. Currently at 57% FIR, 49% GIR, 1.91 putts per hole, 2.13 putts per GIR. Average 3.4 on par 3, 4.6 on par 4 and 5.2 on par 5. That type of info as well as others is very nice to have if you are willing to work on it. Best of luck

Off 14 after a year and a half - I tip my hat to you sir.
Whats your secret ? - play a lot (as I think I saw you say in another thread), natural flair for it, lessons, played hurling or a combination of all of the above ?

And if you had to point to biggest breakthrough in your time what would it be ?

alxmorgan

ajcurry123 wrote: »

Good luck with this Alx,

I found mine has helped to push me along to improve a little anyway. They may have to create a sub forum for us Hackers/Beginners

Set yourself a few goals and that'll get the ball rolling.

All the best

cheers aj, I feel better already being able to share and putting everything together on one thread is starting to build up a picture for myself too

alxmorgan

Keano A Legend wrote: »

I HATE the 9th in East Clare. Did say HATE? I mean it. That hole and me have issues that need resolving

Do you play it as a par 5 ?
An ok drive, lay-up left and you have at most 110-120 in.
Good wedge and its a par chance

Of course this is all do as I say not as I do rubbish...captains prize I went for it and guess what happened....no prizes for guessing

alxmorgan

getcover wrote: »

It's comforting to hear that that has happened to someone else as well!

I played a few games last year with borrowed clubs, got my own set (Christmas Present) and seemed to be doing ok. Got a few lessons, and I have got worse since!
I've decided to spend this year just playing as often as I can, was going to join a club, but decided it's best if I just ignored handicaps and all that, and just tried to get used to playing. I got that Golfshot app as well, and it's depressing!
My main problem is driving, it's all over the place - right, left, short - can't get a decent drive at all. Putting is either pretty good or crap (had 35 putts on a round 3 weeks ago, had 51 putts last week).
Chipping is probably the best part of my game - chipped a shot from about 20 feet of the green to 2 feet from the hole last round, 1 putt for par, and proceeded to 5 putt as the ball lipped the hole and rolled away down the hill of the green, and rolled back down to me on following 3 putts.
I'm stuck at around the same score all the time, don't seem to be able to get scores lower. I always end up with 1 or 2 10s/11s on my round, mostly due to driving.
Frustrating but I always feel that I'm finally going to get it right, I practice my swing at home and am gradually getting a rhythm going. Going to get a lesson next week concentrating just on driving/swing.
Even though it's frustrating and downright demoralising at times, I always feel that everything will come together in my next round, and I'll break the magic 100 barrier!

Ive been there. Stick with it. If I can hit 84 anyone can trust me.

alxmorgan

Bandana boy wrote: »

4 weeks ago my aim was to be a bit more consistent of the tee box, to reduce the number of 3-putts and to remove the 2-3 scratches from my card

I am playing this saturday and my goals are to just once hit one drive straight !!! and to improve on last outings 14 scratched holes !!

BananaBoy could have been my username this time 2 years ago.
I was aiming into the next county to get it back in play
Got it sorted though (mostly) so it can be done
Lessons recommended (more on this later)

alxmorgan

First time I saw myself on video
....was a sobering experience.
Ive had quite a few compliments on my swing, how smooth it was etc
Others of the kind "you didnt hit it well but your swing saved you"

Well after seeing myself on the screen of a pros teaching area I really dont know what they were seeing.
I had imagined a smooth flowing motion like water moving back and forth in a half filled bottle being swayed gently by a beautiful woman.
Instead what I saw looked more like an octopus falling out of a tree

Anyway the point Im here to make is I found it really useful to see myself and have him draw lines to show me what should be happening.
As soon as I saw my swing the last day I knew I was OTT but how to fix it ? well he managed that part

Moral of the story ? - go see your pro kids

Keano

alxmorgan wrote: »

Do you play it as a par 5 ?
An ok drive, lay-up left and you have at most 110-120 in.
Good wedge and its a par chance

Of course this is all do as I say not as I do rubbish...captains prize I went for it and guess what happened....no prizes for guessing

I add a shot to every hole while playing off 18. Still doesn't help.

Ya on 9 I try to put it down just to the left so I don't even have to play over any of the water but last day I hooked 2 balls right and lost them!!

alxmorgan

Keano A Legend wrote: »

I add a shot to every hole while playing off 18. Still doesn't help.

Ya on 9 I try to put it down just to the left so I don't even have to play over any of the water but last day I hooked 2 balls right and lost them!!

We really must hook up for a game. We may play crap but we can entertain each other with our tales of woe (as we add to them)

btw I saw on another thread you are having issues with EC re handicap etc
I found them slow on this too but since then Ive been very happy with everything else
Hopefully youll find the same

alxmorgan

Whats in the bag

Driver: Taylormade R9 Supertri 10.5* Regular
but for last few rounds have been using TM Burner 2009 10.5 Reg cut down 2 inches
Fairway Woods: Cleveland Launcher DST High Launch 17 degree reg
Rescue Club: Taylormade Rescue Dual 19*, TM R7 draw 22 degree
Irons: Cobra S9 4-SW ( 7 iron now has ping shaft after I broke original)
Wedges: Vokey Spin milled 60* Cleveland CG15 52*
Putter : Odyssey 2 Ball
Balls: Whatever I found in the woods
Shoes: Footjoy Softjoys
Bag: Wilson (torn so looking for new one)
Trolley: Go-Kart

Keano

alxmorgan wrote: »

We really must hook up for a game. We may play crap but we can entertain each other with our tales of woe (as we add to them)

btw I saw on another thread you are having issues with EC re handicap etc
I found them slow on this too but since then Ive been very happy with everything else
Hopefully youll find the same

I can play any time so just drop me a PM if you ever looking for a fellow hacker.

Ya it's taking quiet a while. Not sure what the hold up is.

alxmorgan

Keano A Legend wrote: »

I can play any time so just drop me a PM if you ever looking for a fellow hacker.

Ya it's taking quiet a while. Not sure what the hold up is.

Have you spoken to Michael OHanlon (think thats his name anyway) the secretary ? - he sorted it for me quickly enough

Keano

alxmorgan wrote: »

Have you spoken to Michael OHanlon (think thats his name anyway) the secretary ? - he sorted it for me quickly enough

We spoke to him a while back and he said he'd leave stuff in the pro shop! I'll not complain as I am not exactly going to be playing any competitions soon unless I improve rapid!

plumber77

2 inches does seem like a lot to take off your driver,especially if your pro has you trying to stand further away from the ball.I do like your coice of golf balls though.

Really must go for video analysis myself.could be interesting to say the least.Could it be possible that I don't really swing like Ernie Els.Never :rolleyes:

dines08

alxmorgan wrote: »

Off 14 after a year and a half - I tip my hat to you sir.
Whats your secret ? - play a lot (as I think I saw you say in another thread), natural flair for it, lessons, played hurling or a combination of all of the above ?

And if you had to point to biggest breakthrough in your time what would it be ?

Two of my best mates are off 9 and 6. That was a huge factor, don't be afraid to play with better players and remember they all started somewhere too. Taking on board what they had to say and being on nights for 2 years have got me to 14. I get to play at least 2 times a week. Never had a lesson and never played hurling although I am a sporty type. The major breakthrough for me was routine. Develop a routine for each shot and it'll inspire confidence. For example every time I hit an iron shot I set the club on line, then square my feet/body and off I go. Repetition is the key to improving

alxmorgan

plumber77 wrote: »

2 inches does seem like a lot to take off your driver,especially if your pro has you trying to stand further away from the ball.I do like your coice of golf balls though.

Really must go for video analysis myself.could be interesting to say the least.Could it be possible that I don't really swing like Ernie Els.Never :rolleyes:

The driver length thing
My TM burner is 46 inches off the shelf
Did a little research and turns out most pros play shorter than that
Sergio = 43.75 for example and even Bubba is below 45.
So why 46 off the shelf you ask - well heres the theory....

Longer the shaft the greater the possible club head speed and hence the greater possible distance if hit right
So manufacturers make longer clubs so they can claim this club will add x yards.
Problem is longer = harder to hit sweet spot which negates advantage

So a lot of ppl online were advocating cutting down drivers.
I decided to get my backup driver done and took 2 inches off so its now pretty much same length as my 3 wood
Took some getting used to but I feel much more confident standing over it and havent lost any distance but have gained control

Hit 11/13 fairways a few weeks ago in Mahon which is unreal for me.
And now more confident on controlling direction of ball (more later on this)

So so far would I recommend it ? - definitely

plumber77

Actually used to self butcher my own steel shafted(yeah i know steel shaft :eek:) driver when i started playing first.Would always take about an inch off but never anymore.I'm about 5'7 so I thought it would help me.Definitely straightened me out and more than made up for any lost of distance.Whether in was in my head or not,just feeling comfortable standing over your drives is half the battle.Obviously working for you which is all that matters.

Must retire now to the garage for a McGyver job on my old Taylormade 360!

alxmorgan

dines08 wrote: »

Two of my best mates are off 9 and 6. That was a huge factor, don't be afraid to play with better players and remember they all started somewhere too. Taking on board what they had to say and being on nights for 2 years have got me to 14. I get to play at least 2 times a week. Never had a lesson and never played hurling although I am a sporty type. The major breakthrough for me was routine. Develop a routine for each shot and it'll inspire confidence. For example every time I hit an iron shot I set the club on line, then square my feet/body and off I go. Repetition is the key to improving

Ya Id imagine playing with lower handicappers helps alright - not something I get to do
Id have a pretty good pre-shot routine I reckon but maybe not as regimental as I should be

alxmorgan

How far do hit I them ?

Figures vary wildly as swing is developing but here goes

Putter - either too long or too short
LW - 65 (guess as havent hit full in ages)
SW - 90 (ditto)
GW - 110
PW - 125
9i - 135
8i - 145
7i - 155
6i - 165
5i - 175
4i - 185
3hy - 180
2hy - 190-210
3w - 200 - 220
Driver 220 - 250

alxmorgan

Course Management
Better at this than I was but lot of room for improvement still
I remember reading you should hit the shot you know you can hit rather than the shot you like to be able to hit

Sounds fine but line here is thin for me (pun intended )
So say Im chipping onto a green with no green to work with and runs away down hill
I can play safe but most likely looking at a 2 putt
Or can play the flop with the LW which stops quicker hence more chance of a 1 putt
How many times from 10 can I hit a flop ? maybe 7/8 assuming a fluffy lie
But how many times can I hit a good enough one to ensure real short putt - maybe 4/5
So whats the choice ?
Flop = more chance of down in 2 and also risk of blading it and taking 4/whatever
Chip = probably a 3 but little chance of a 2
Guess it will depend on confidence levels, how the round is going scoring wise etc etc
I guess what Im saying is course mgmt isnt always black and white to me

alxmorgan

Drawing a line under it
So being a natural slicer/fader Ive always wanted to be able to draw the ball
Finally got it working with my irons
Theres a par 3 the 8th in East Clare (Keano will know it well as will SEORG) wherre the pin is often tucked away on left protected by trees hanging out
So last Saturday I aimed to far right of green, aimed my club fact to flag and swung - which is textbook (mostly) draw stuff
I added my own little tweak which is to stick my left elbow to my left side on follow through to force my hands to turn over and voila it worked

8 feet from the pin and just to prove it wasnt a fluke I did again as was only a casual round
Course on hols now in France (hence all the time to type as no golf to play :mad:) and probably all gone by time I get home

dines08

It's easy to tell by your posting that you will continue to improve because you have the enthusiasm for it. As I said confidence is a major major factor, know your limitations and stick to what you know you can do. Don't get greedy if you find yourself in trouble. Classic examples would be play to a comfortable yardage on long par 4's or par 5's. What's your favourite club? Mine is a 52* or PW from 100-130 yards. Lay up around there as often as I can on par 5's. Similarly on short par 4's the driver stays in the bag to get in and around my comfort zone. All part of good course management.

alxmorgan

dines08 wrote: »

It's easy to tell by your posting that you will continue to improve because you have the enthusiasm for it. As I said confidence is a major major factor, know your limitations and stick to what you know you can do. Don't get greedy if you find yourself in trouble. Classic examples would be play to a comfortable yardage on long par 4's or par 5's. What's your favourite club? Mine is a 52* or PW from 100-130 yards. Lay up around there as often as I can on par 5's. Similarly on short par 4's the driver stays in the bag to get in and around my comfort zone. All part of good course management.

Fair pts - and yes I have read and watched and thought more than is good for me about this game - sometimes too much
Once you go down the rabbit hole its a long way back

Question for you - do you use a GPS or range finder to gauge your lay up distances ?

For me Im thinking 110 GW is usually a very safe distance for me

dines08

No....I'd have a general idea once I'm playing my second as to what to hit. For example on a par 5 if I was 250-260 out for my second I'd hit an 8 iron down. Safe straight and would finish somewhere in the 100-120 yard mark. I'd have no problem hitting two low irons for the second and third shots on par 5's but I do get tempted at times.

Keano

dines08 wrote: »

No....I'd have a general idea once I'm playing my second as to what to hit. For example on a par 5 if I was 250-260 out for my second I'd hit an 8 iron down. Safe straight and would finish somewhere in the 100-120 yard mark. I'd have no problem hitting two low irons for the second and third shots on par 5's but I do get tempted at times.

I like your thinking dines. Might try this the next time I head out on course.

alxmorgan

Keano A Legend wrote: »

I like your thinking dines. Might try this the next time I head out on course.

Ya it makes a lot of sense. 260 out closest I can get is say 40 yards with a 100% perfect 3 wood. But Im good from 110 so an 8 iron gets me there.
So its a 3 wood and a short pitch versus an 8 and a gap - what has better odds of working more times from 10 - definitely the latter
Now the discipline to do it

Keano

alxmorgan wrote: »

Ya it makes a lot of sense. 260 out closest I can get is say 40 yards with a 100% perfect 3 wood. But Im good from 110 so an 8 iron gets me there.
So its a 3 wood and a short pitch versus an 8 and a gap - what has better odds of working more times from 10 - definitely the latter
Now the discipline to do it

Exactly. Think of the 5th. Good drive and just hit a nice handy 6 or 7 and that will put you where you want to be.

Oh this game sounds so easy!

dines08

For your second short have a look at the pin. Give yourself a nice angle, if the pin is tucked away on the left then lay up to the right hand side of the fairway and vice versa. To score well you need to know your limitations and try not get greedy and pressure yourself when you do get in trouble. The scratches come when you try something difficult to make up for a poor shot. You end up getting into even more trouble. Bogey golf is the way to play it. It's better to make bogey by accepting it's the best you can score on a hole rather than scratching it while breaking your neck for the par.

dines08

alxmorgan wrote: »

Ya it makes a lot of sense. 260 out closest I can get is say 40 yards with a 100% perfect 3 wood. But Im good from 110 so an 8 iron gets me there.
So its a 3 wood and a short pitch versus an 8 and a gap - what has better odds of working more times from 10 - definitely the latter
Now the discipline to do it

Absolutely spot on. I can get to within 30-60 yards on most par 5's with a drive then rescue but a 1/2 or 3/4 wedge is far more difficult to play for me. That's where I can improve most now, my pitching consistency. A full wedge or full PW is a lot easier for me. That might not necessarily be the case for you guys but find what your comfortable yardage is and play for it. Your par 5's will really improve because a bad drive can be rectified easily 9 out of 10 when you're laying up. I don't make a whole pile of birdies on par 5's, just my share when the approach is good but I rarely bogey. GIR, 2 putt and move on

alxmorgan

The last 4 rounds - a snapshot

Mahon - 37 pts (17/20)
Hit 11/13 fairways
Front 9 was a bit mad - two birds, one par and 3 scratches
Played well overall but also scratched one on the back which meant 37pts with 4 scratches - you can see now why I want to get them out of my game !!
Driving with the new cut down driver was best its ever been. I actually should have had 12/13 but number 10 fairway is at a 45 degree angle and even though I hit it it ran 40yards down and off

East Clare - Captains Prize - 95 strokes (43/52)
Missed playoff by a single stroke
Took a 7 on 9th after going for it over two lakes which I shouldnt have (oh to have dines08 with me then to talk sense)
But 16th was the killer - lying 4 in middle of fairway 70 yards out and took a 9. Fluffed the pitch into a bunker - overshot green into rough - 2 to hack out and up and down
In my defense I had only 5 hours sleep (not my fault but thats another story) and I think the tiredness stole my concentration

Fernhill - 32 (22/10)
Two birds on front 9 and flying
Back 9 score looks terrible but anyway who has played in recently will tell you pins are like crazy golf. On 18 if you miss you end up 15 ft away due to slope its on - no exceptions. Putting for bird 3 times on back and scratched due to madness of greens. Three bogeys and I had 22/16 for 38
So dont feel too bad

alxmorgan

The last 4 rounds - a snapshot......contd

East Clare - 35pts (18/17)
Solid if unspectacular. Few pars, few scratches
Main thing of interest was shot shape
As stated previously I started to draw the ball with my irons - of course as is my wont I took it to stupid levels. On 11 175 out in middle of fairway and instead of playing straight up shot I aimed right and went for draw
Didnt get it and headed for bushes/rough on right
Dropped provisional and hit it straight and ended up 6 feet from flag and feeling like an idiot (found first one in 3 feet of rough and did v well to make 5)

Also started to play for draw with my driver. Stood a little further away from the ball and went for a slight in to out feeling. When I hit them I hit them well and extra distance was noticeable. Feel at the moment that not quite reliable enough so needs work but encouraging all the same

In theory then to fade my driver I should stand a little closer and feel slight out to in. Never thought Id have an issue going left to right- but I guess issues is doing it on demand and with enough control
Looking forward to trying it out