End of month one

[Tiger]

So the first month of sixty is down. I've posted a more detailed summary of January progress on the blog. One clear thing is the weather certainly hasn't helped. All I hope is that what practice I am getting will serve me in good stead in the spring.

The two main areas holding me back are birdie conversion and scrambling par and as you know I'll be focusing predominantly on the short game till April. One ray of light is that putts per round (aggregated up for 18 holes) have dropped from a 2009 average of over 37 to just over 30 for the last two rounds.

For those unfamiliar with the project scratch (www.projectscratch.co.uk) blog two of us are attempting to get scratch handicap from novices in five years. In terms of updates I tend to post at least three times per week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday).

My question to the forum this month is on chipping. I am much more accurate using my 8 iron. Should I just practice with my wedges or continue to persevere with them when I am playing? The GW in particular is costing me shots all over the place. Thoughts welcomed to this thread and the blog. T

 

[Imurg]

Use the 8 iron during rounds for the foreseeable future. But practice with the wedges. if you're going to get even to single figures you'll need to be able to use any club for chipping - even the driver if need be!

For example, if you're behind a bunker, with an 8 iron you're not going to get close. But with a 58 or 60 wedge you have a chance. So stick with the 8 for now but practice hard with the wedges - they'll come to your aid the lower you get.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There some good figures in that score especially the putting which seems exceptional. As you are coming up short a lot of the time it suggests to me that you might need to check how far you actually hit each club and not assume the distance.

 

[Imurg]

If its any consolation my Birdie Conversion rate is very similar to yours. Everything else is on target or better than handicap but I just can't sink those birdies. But putting stats are good so its the distance from the pin that's killing me.

 

[Tiger]

There some good figures in that score especially the putting which seems exceptional. As you are coming up short a lot of the time it suggests to me that you might need to check how far you actually hit each club and not assume the distance.

hi homer agree that sometimes it's poor club selection but quite a lot it's a fat strike. Thing is when I then adjust and assume I'll hit it fat I get a nice clean connection and sail over the green. Will be having a look hole by hole on my regular par three and might make a couple of adjustment.

 

[jammydodger]

You dont need to be worrying about birdie conversion rates at your handicap. I'd be surprised if you said you had 1 birdie a round tbh

Off 28 you ought to be over the moon with 18 bogies never mind pars/birdies.

Chip with what youre comfortable with at this stage of your progress , there will be a time later in the season when you suddenly feel better about chipping with different wedges

 

[bigbiffa]

with wedges you have to remember a couple of things. keep the wrists forward at all times,and keep body movement to a minimum, its all arms and shoulders when close in!

 

[CrapHacker]

Practise with every club in as many different ways as you can.

But when you are trying to post a score, stick with what your mind and body knows best.

Course management lesson 1.

My fees are £20.



But I think you're playing far too well to worry too much about that

 

[drawboy]

Use the club that will get the ball rolling as soon as possible. If you have to go over an obstacle then that means more loft but less roll. If there is nothing in front of you you would be better to use a putter. Take your irons to a practice area and hit every iron the same strength to the same target and watch how much carry to roll you get from each club. A 3 iron will carry less but roll further the opposite for a lob wedge.I would keep the ball low whenever you can.It's the percentage shot.

 

[Tiger]

Thanks for all the comments, really helpful as always. Forgot to mention that whichever approach wins the vote will be what I take onto the course in February. Looking forward to seeing the final vote and please keep visiting and commenting on the blog as it all helps my progress.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You can't golf like that - taking the public vote onto the course as the way to play a shot. Every shot needs to be taken on its own merit. Thirty yards short with no trouble and I'd be playing a pitch and run with a 7 or 8 iron. Same distance going over a bunker and I'd be reaching for either the 52 or 58 wedge dependant on where the flag was.

The best way to improve is to learn all the shots and when to use them If you're having trouble with wedge play a lesson would be a wise investment and will help get the scores down much quicker.

 

[Whereditgo]

You can't golf like that - taking the public vote onto the course as the way to play a shot. Every shot needs to be taken on its own merit. Thirty yards short with no trouble and I'd be playing a pitch and run with a 7 or 8 iron. Same distance going over a bunker and I'd be reaching for either the 52 or 58 wedge dependant on where the flag was.

The best way to improve is to learn all the shots and when to use them If you're having trouble with wedge play a lesson would be a wise investment and will help get the scores down much quicker.

Couldn't agree more, as a relative newbie mtself I get much more consistency with my weapon of choice (52 deg wedge as it happens) for chipping around the greens, but I quickly realised that from further out than say 30yds the 52 deg is the wrong club. I tend to use my wedges for close work and for the chip and runs either my 7 or 3 irons.

 

[Tiger]

Perhaps I wasn't clear in my last post. As a newbie it's useful to get advice and guidance from more experienced players. Currently, I am persevering with the GW on shots that I could get away with an 8 iron because in an ideal world you would minimise roll off the green.

The advice as I see it is saying practice, practice, practice with all your clubs but on the course use the club you're most comfortable with to lower scores and boost confidence. Sound advice to me but don't worry I won't be attempting to dink it over any bunkers, ditches or streams with an 8.

 

[Smiffy]

You can't golf like that - taking the public vote onto the course as the way to play a shot. Every shot needs to be taken on its own merit. Thirty yards short with no trouble and I'd be playing a pitch and run with a 7 or 8 iron. Same distance going over a bunker and I'd be reaching for either the 52 or 58 wedge dependant on where the flag was.

The best way to improve is to learn all the shots and when to use them If you're having trouble with wedge play a lesson would be a wise investment and will help get the scores down much quicker.

I agree with Homer 100%

 

[Tiger]

Ok. I'm confused now. Someone tell me where I'm going wrong.

• You guys have been playing golf for ages
  You've learnt many lessons the hard way
  I'm new to the game and keen to improve
  I'm trying to find out how to do that
  I'm asking your advice on one of two approaches when I play a round:
  - Use the 8 iron whenever possible
  - Or persevere with the wedges
  The advice is saying keep practicing with all your clubs for chipping but until you feel comfortable use your preferred method, where possible, when you play a round
  I'm proposing following this advice
  You all think I'm barking

Am I going mad?

 

[madandra]

Diffrent strokes for different folks m8. I always bump and run around the green unless there is an obsticle in my way then I have to lift the ball highr but my mate always goes for air regardless of whether or not he needs to.

You will get advice on here but the beauty of getting advice is you then go and try to find what advice works for YOU.

 

[Robobum]

Ok. I'm confused now. Someone tell me where I'm going wrong.

.......
Am I going mad?

Tiger, sorry my man but you are just tying yourself up in knots here. Your thirst for knowledge about the theoretical side of this game is admirable but I'd suggest that so many ideas and instructions at such an early stage will only hinder any progress you make.

I'll use the example of those pesky kids who spend every waking hour on the practise ground (only pesky because they make it look so simple!). They aren't too fussed about having Peltz, Rotella or any GM forum bod advise them how to hit a certain shot. They are just there hitting shots, if something doesn't work they'll try soemthing different and eventually they end up with a whole variety of different ways of getting the same shot close to the hole.

If you are tring to learn golf by numbers then you limit your chances of getting round the course when you find yourself out of position.

If I was you, I'd learn a basic chipping stroke and use it to hit chips with almost every club in your bag. When you start to get used to how each club has a different carry and flight and how it rolls out then you will find that you have a whole array of clubs that can get the ball close and the choice is then down to you and the situation.

 

[Tiger]

Hi Robo, I understand what you are saying but where I'm struggling is that my basic stroke is working really well on the 8 iron but not so well on the wedges, where I'm either overhitting or duffing. All I'm looking for advice on is whether I should:

a) use the club that I feel most confident with (and will probably lower my scores), or
b) carry on trying what I think is the 'right' shot/club even though sometimes it is costing me shots

It goes back to the keeping it simple thing. The simple thing for me to do is use the 8 iron and bump and run almost everything, and practice the other variations until I feel comfortable about taking them onto the course. But another part of me says using other variations on the course is part of the practice and I shouldn't obsess about score, more about improving.

Sigh. I had hoped that I'd get an opinion, try it and see if it worked. That for me was the beauty of the forum - loads of other golfers offering what has worked for them and what hasn't. I'd distill the information and see how it applied to my game.

Obviously it just causes more problems than it solves. Another piece of learning for me.

Dear mods please close this thread. Thanks T

 

[bobmac]

Tiger, this is how I teach the basic chip.

Each shot should have its first bounce on the green on a flat area if possible (Red X)
For the nearest flag, use a lob wedge or similar. For the middle flag, land the ball in the same red X but with a 9 or wedge and the farthest flag, 7 or an 8.
This way, you learn one technique and by altering your club selection and length of swing, you alter the distance the ball rolls.
Disclaimer
This would differ if there were any big slopes or steps in the green or bunkers in the way.
HTH

 

[Tiger]

Thanks Bob