Are you ready?

[Vokey]

It seems to me that it won’t be long before the season is open us.
I appreciate some feel it never goes away,especially if your course is always open and always holding qualifiers.
My course has generally been shut or on temps,although we have had 2 qualifying comps.
My aim this year is to get a handicap close to 0 from 2.3 following my small cut a couple weeks ago.

So what have you been doing,practicing to get ready for the season.
What are your goals ,aims etc
Do you play for your club at all.

The season has so many aspects so many adventures so many different scenarios.
Care to share yours.

What changes/practicing have you been doing? When i played golf with you i was surprised you was a single figure golfer to be honest.
Good luck getting to scratch

 

[chrisd]

I was playing pretty well after some intensive coaching and played my best golf in ages in early January. Sadly I had a heart attack on the course that day, and today was the first day that I have been allowed to play, but given that the course probably should have been closed, I walked the course with my mates but didn't play

Maybe 9 holes on Sunday !

 

[Kennysarmy]

It seems to me that it won’t be long before the season is open us.
I appreciate some feel it never goes away,especially if your course is always open and always holding qualifiers.
My course has generally been shut or on temps,although we have had 2 qualifying comps.
My aim this year is to get a handicap close to 0 from 2.3 following my small cut a couple weeks ago.

So what have you been doing,practicing to get ready for the season.
What are your goals ,aims etc
Do you play for your club at all.

The season has so many aspects so many adventures so many different scenarios.
Care to share yours.

>>>>>>So what have you been doing,practicing to get ready for the season.
Played minimum twice a week all thru winter and had some range and indoor sessions too!

>>>>>>>What are your goals ,aims etc
To enjoy as much golf and time with old and new friends as possible and not too stress when bad luck and shots happen.

>>>>>>>Do you play for your club at all.
Yes, for the B-team and last year represented the club in Gloucestershire's Presidents Cup, we made it to finals day but ultimately came 3rd. Personally had some great matches, won on the 19th hole at Filton in Bristol by holing a birdie putt!

 

[garyinderry]

I'm always ready to get off wet fairways and get back out there.
Been playing on average every second weekend over the winter. Finished shift work after Christmas so it's been every weekend weather permitting.
Since October it's been a range session every tue night which is a bit of a meet up with a bunch of guys. Some from my normal playing partners and a few others.
100 balls every time. Seems to be helping my back as I havnt needed a massage for months now. The back has probably never been as good. (Touch wood)
As far as my game goes I'm fairly comfortable with it. The irons have been transformed with the purchase of pings last year.
Short game is always something I can rely on and seems to improve year on year.
Driving comes and goes. Picked up a little distance last couple years. I drift between draws and fades. Mostly favor fades when a card goes in the hand but do try to take the cover off it with a draw when mucking about.
Completely fallen in love with my vintage mizuno putter. It's a simple brass headed thing with a dot for alignment. It seems to just go where I point it and I never pull it. Really can't complain.
Handicap wise I surprised myself finishing on 3.8 last season. Worked out all my counting scores were in the 70s so that will be the aim again next year and see where it takes me.

 

[Skytot]

It seems to me that it won’t be long before the season is open us.
I appreciate some feel it never goes away,especially if your course is always open and always holding qualifiers.
My course has generally been shut or on temps,although we have had 2 qualifying comps.
My aim this year is to get a handicap close to 0 from 2.3 following my small cut a couple weeks ago.

So what have you been doing,practicing to get ready for the season.
What are your goals ,aims etc
Do you play for your club at all.

The season has so many aspects so many adventures so many different scenarios.
Care to share yours.

Not read the whole thread yet but what have you been doing ? My mate is off 1.6 and he’s started to kick in his pre season warm up. Had his 2nd lesson tonight and focused on wedges . Told me he’s heard about a putting specialist coach at Mere GC and considering going for a session with him . He lost a full shot last year and has big ambitions to get to scratch this year . Ps , Oh and I’ve lent him Bob Rotella putting book .

 

[pokerjoke]

A few people asking what I have been doing.
Vokey when and where did we play together?

I have practiced 2 times a week when I’ve been able.
Mostly chipping and pitching especially from 65 yards and in.
Also irons dialling in distances religiously and this has helped massively.
I don’t make changes to my swing on purpose but I have changed my chipping grip slightly getting my right hand on top more but nothing else.
In the gym working on my obliques has helped as I really suffer from a tight back otherwise my practice would be longer.
Over the last 2 years I’ve gained length,can now hit a driver well so I believe scratch is definitely achievable.

 

[Slab]

Last year was my best to date in terms of gross scoring (& consequently handicap) I'd like to keep that going this year & see if I can break 80 (I have doubts about that though, PB is 81 eight weeks ago and I can't recall 'shots I left out there') so its a big ask. My golfing year won't depend on doing it

I practice about twice a week so I'll keep that going with equal time spent on short game practice

Goal is, more pars, fewer doubles (& hole a flop shot over a bunker to a tight pin )

 

[PJ87]

Since mid-December I’ve suffered from Plantar Fasciitis twice and that brought on problems with a knee, which has seized up three times in six weeks (fluid on the knee which takes 7-10 days to recover each time). I am simply hoping that it recovers before the season starts.

Buy pro wellbeing 11 insoles for your shoes

I have plantar fascitis. It will be with me forever. But with these insoles golf isn't a problem .. well apart from being rubbish

 

[louise_a]

I hope to be more consistent with my scoring and have more score in the the 70s which will keep my handicap under 10, as I will be 72 this year I don't expect much improvement in my game, that is why consistency is my key.

 

[jim8flog]

I play at a club that has comps all year round but that has not stopped us having a lot of course closures or buggy bans so I have not been playing a lot.

I had a bad injury late last year and my aim is to get my handicap to where it reflects my current ability so a card goes in at every opportunity.

 

[Springveldt]

It seems to me that it won’t be long before the season is open us.
I appreciate some feel it never goes away,especially if your course is always open and always holding qualifiers.
My course has generally been shut or on temps,although we have had 2 qualifying comps.
My aim this year is to get a handicap close to 0 from 2.3 following my small cut a couple weeks ago.

So what have you been doing,practicing to get ready for the season.
What are your goals ,aims etc
Do you play for your club at all.

The season has so many aspects so many adventures so many different scenarios.
Care to share yours.

Done absolutely nothing so far as the weather has been garbage since October. I've been lazy over the winter, stopped the stretching routine, 1 game every so often, no speed sticks, no practice at all. I've watched plenty of YouTube videos though that give me at least another 6 swing thoughts to wreck my game with.

I started the stretching routine yesterday again and I'll be getting the speed sticks out to get me back to the speed I was at last season as soon as the marshland that was once my back garden starts to firm up a bit.

Goals are the same as always, try to get the handicap down as low as I can. I need to work on being more consistent for that to happen though, I've still got too many WTF swings in my game that cost me shots.

No shot at playing for the club, would need to be a + golfer for that to happen.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Same as every year - nothing to get ready for tbh

Play through the winter with the same mindset - hit ball , walk after it , hit it again - and enjoy the company and the course and the laughs after

Don’t bother with practise or swing changes etc etc just play the game and the score is secondary

 

[timd77]

2023 frustratingly saw my handicap increase from 15.7 to 16.9 and then back to 16. This was after a couple of years of a steady decrease, when I thought maybe I’d get down to 14. I don’t know why but I seemed to struggle in the comps.

I don’t stop playing over winter and have been playing really well since October, shot my lowest ever score of 82, and have had several roll up scores of 40+ points. Course has only been shortened since Christmas so I’m pretty pleased with how that’s gone.

I had planned to have a couple of lessons, but moving house has meant I’ve not really had time in addition to playing at the weekend.

I’ve recently been told I’ve got high blood pressure, so i now have an excuse to get outside for more exercise, which means I’ll play 9 holes after work a couple of times a week instead of just once, try to turn them into a practise session. Once the lighter nights are here of course.

Love golf, the anticipation of waiting for spring and the nicer weather can’t be beaten!

 

[PJ87]

Been playing through the winter

Society starts Wednesday

New driver has been a game changer

New putter in the bag

I'm ready

 

[DeanoMK]

I am more than ready and am excited for the new season. The fitness and speed training is having a positive effect. The drills I've been doing with TGN have changed my strike and delivery for the better.

I won't lie and say that I'm not focused on getting my handicap down, because I am, but if it happens it'll be naturally and as a consequence of the things that I can control.

The main goal for me is to enjoy my time on the course and to be a good playing partner.

-Edited to add- I only played one club match last year, I would like to play in more this year too.

 

[Orikoru]

I'm definitely ready for a bit of decent weather anyway.

 

[harpo_72]

I did not really change anything last year, started with a win, then some bad rounds and then back with average ones to stay at te same index.
This year I think or hope I see a steady improvement and just grind the index down .. it will either be that or 2 other situations 1. Up by 2-3 or 2. down by 4-5 (when I get on a roll I ride it, when I play bad I mitigate the damage by removing risk)

 

[SteveW86]

I’m definitely ready for the season to start.

Practise wise I try and get a couple of range sessions in a week, but the majority of this will be on shots less than 100 yards.

A did a TPI assessment a month ago, came out with a “golf fitness handicap” of 21 (my actual index is 10.7), put a golf specific fitness programme in place which I have been doing since. Had a follow up assessment today and my handicap had come down to 11, so a big improvement and I can definitely tell the difference, not just in my golf swing but how my body feels generally.

I’ve been scoring very well lately, with the last few rounds being mostly 5 over or less, though these have been match play so no cards have gone in. Would love to finish the season with an index of 7-8.

 

[Mandofred]

I'm likely just at one club by the beginning of April.....not much for practice facilities. There is a hitting range next to the course, so I'll need to get a discount ticket to save a little money there....but of course the balls won't be very good. Only a tiny little area near the 10th tee that isn't very good and you can only hit about 70yds, which is fine for a lot of what I work on....but no room for more than one person. I got down to 5.4 last summer....back up to 6.1 when I stopped putting in cards in the late Fall.
1. I suck at chip+rolls. That's the number 1 goal this year.....too many wasted shots. I've always been a flop shot type chipper.....which I like....just need to improve the 8 iron low chips.
2. Keep my swing short.....I don't seem to lose much (if any) distance but the improved consistency is worth it.
3. Back goes crap....then gets better.....then crap..... The last couple of weeks I got hold of a couple of kettlebells so I've been steadily doing more with those to toughen everything up....hopefully the back as well.
4. My flexibility has always been bad. I've always hated stretching, even back when I was running a lot. I just have to suck it up and spend some time every day working on it after my workouts.

 

[BrianM]

I’m definitely ready for the season to start.

Practise wise I try and get a couple of range sessions in a week, but the majority of this will be on shots less than 100 yards.

A did a TPI assessment a month ago, came out with a “golf fitness handicap” of 21 (my actual index is 10.7), put a golf specific fitness programme in place which I have been doing since. Had a follow up assessment today and my handicap had come down to 11, so a big improvement and I can definitely tell the difference, not just in my golf swing but how my body feels generally.

I’ve been scoring very well lately, with the last few rounds being mostly 5 over or less, though these have been match play so no cards have gone in. Would love to finish the season with an index of 7-8.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is TPI?