Greetings from a first-timer

[sheldrake]

Hi All - despite being addicted to the game since I was 12, I have only recently discovered this blog!

By way of introduction: I am 22, living in the London area, recently graduated and working in the city.

I currently play off a very inconsistent 10.0 and have two main goals in my golfing life:

-getting into solid single figures
-playing as many of the top golf courses in the world as I possibly can

The main obstacle to my first goal is my recent tendency to shank wedge shots or any iron shots with the ball below my feet...any suggestions??

The obstacle to my second goal is the fact that my golfing friends are unwilling to pay the exorbitant fees at many of the "top" courses and I understand that there are restrictions on single players playing some courses. I've heard singles at wentworth for instance have to pay for a pro...is this correct? And if so, how much?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[Golfmmad]

Hi All - despite being addicted to the game since I was 12, I have only recently discovered this blog!

By way of introduction: I am 22, living in the London area, recently graduated and working in the city.

I currently play off a very inconsistent 10.0 and have two main goals in my golfing life:

-getting into solid single figures
-playing as many of the top golf courses in the world as I possibly can

The main obstacle to my first goal is my recent tendency to shank wedge shots or any iron shots with the ball below my feet...any suggestions??

The obstacle to my second goal is the fact that my golfing friends are unwilling to pay the exorbitant fees at many of the "top" courses and I understand that there are restrictions on single players playing some courses. I've heard singles at wentworth for instance have to pay for a pro...is this correct? And if so, how much?

Thanks,

Joe

Well, sorry that you haven't had any replies as yet - very unusual!

Good luck in your quest to single figures and playing all those wonderful golf courses worldwide. I wish that I'd had the opportunity at your age, but different times eh?

Stick to your goals and the best of luck to you. :thup:

PS. someone is sure to come along and answer your other questions.

 

[richart]

Welcome, unfortunately I can not answer any of your queries.

If you want to play one of the best courses in Hampshire, Justin Rose's old club, check out the Help For Heroes day at North Hants (arrange a game section):thup:

 

[the_coach]

The main obstacle to my first goal is my recent tendency to shank wedge shots or any iron shots with the ball below my feet...any suggestions??

Welcome, good luck with all the goals.

Shank happens with whatever swing path you have be it neutral so in to in, or in to out, or out to in, simply because your arms & hands, so club face, are further away from your body at impact than they were at either address or during the back swing. Also something to take into account because the ball is below your feet, for a RH the ball will have more of a tendency even for a fairly soundly struck ball to go to the right, so factor that in to your aim.

Specifically with ball below feet, if this is the only time you do this, it's about balance, you are falling on the downswing off balance so moving either everything towards the ball/target line or just your arms, hands & club.

Folks tend to fall off balance both because they haven't put the counterbalance needed in their set up posture to take in account of the slope & also they are trying to swing a good ways to fast than the situation will allow.

So for these shots in particular you need to make sure your butt is out a little ways behind you, you weight is slightly towards your heels.
You need to make sure that you keep your posture your spine tilt all the way through the shot, as if you start to come up out of it with your hips (early extension), bang your arms hands & club are immediately further away from you, so hello socket rocket.

& balance, swinging a ways to hard that the lie of your ball & your stance will reasonably allow, so if possible club up, swing smoother because it solid contact you really need.
If the slope so severe, the lie so bad in the rough that you can't reasonably club up, just accept the medicine swing smooth with 9i, PW & get back to the short grass, take the hit of a bogey 7 don't run up the risk of a real big number.

Through the swing motion, keep the body turning right through the shot, don't stop body rotation it'll throw your arms, hands so club face outwards so you get the socket.

 

[sheldrake]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still very very early on in my golf course quest! Hoping to play st.enodoc and trevose when down in Cornwall with the girlfriend and watching the PGA this week has really made me want to play the west at wentworth having been there to watch a number of times. Thinking of going March next year as it would "only be" 195! But I may need to find someone else who's willing to come along if they don't accept singles.

Richart, North Hants has been on my play list for a while now but unfortunately I'm in college for my chartered accountancy and chartered tax advisor exams all through September so hopefully next year I can make it!

Thanks for the tips the coach, I'll give it a go when I'm next facing a dodgy lie!

 

[Mastercracker]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still very very early on in my golf course quest! Hoping to play st.enodoc and trevose when down in Cornwall with the girlfriend and watching the PGA this week has really made me want to play the west at wentworth having been there to watch a number of times. Thinking of going March next year as it would "only be" 195! But I may need to find someone else who's willing to come along if they don't accept singles.

Richart, North Hants has been on my play list for a while now but unfortunately I'm in college for my chartered accountancy and chartered tax advisor exams all through September so hopefully next year I can make it!

Thanks for the tips the coach, I'll give it a go when I'm next facing a dodgy lie!

I played wentworth west last month. As the first 'famous' course I'd ever played I thought it was good but not that much better than a good 'standard' course. The whole experience was great though.

 

[sheldrake]

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm aware I may be very disappointed with the course (if I believe some of the reviews I've seen) and the condition of the course in March is likely to be poor. However I think it is more the opportunity to play a course I've watched the pros struggle with and a course that I've played on the PlayStation that I'm most looking forward to.

I just get a thrill from playing New courses, be they big famous ones or the hidden gems, I just want to play as many as I can!

Has anyone got an experience of playing wentworth as a single? I.e. the extra charge for playing with a pro. Or indeed does anyone else have a desire to play the west in March and would like to keep me company?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. Which part of London are you in. Lots of decent courses around without having to shell £195 to play Wentworth and if I'm honest the East and Edinburgh courses are better to play than the West

 

[pbrown7582]

Hello welcome and enjoy.

If you want to play some quality courses as a single look at playing on some of the amateur tours about.

 

[sheldrake]

I'm actually in Essex which isn't full of great courses (apart from Thorndon Park where id love to be a member if I could afford it!) but I'm within an hour's drive of the top surrey, kent, Hertfordshire tracks.

Pbrown, Do you not need to be a decent player (5 handicap or better) to play on those tours?

And homer, I know there are probably dozens of better/more enjoyable courses just within a couple of hours and they are all on my "to play" list. There are far too many courses on my list for me to actually play but I would still like to experience as many as I can, be they the ridiculously overpriced famous courses, or the very enjoyable hidden gems for 30 pounds. Hopefully I'll be at a stage in a couple of years where I would have played all 3 at wentworth for instance and can then decide which was my favourite. I just need to find someone else as foolish as me who's also willing to blow £195 next March!

 

[pbrown7582]

One or two events limit themselves to cat 1 but they are on mid am
(Over 35) have a look at real top end stuff at www.eagt.com, no restrictions and all are Congu qualifiers these days.

 

[sheldrake]

Wow, I had no idea these sorts of things existed, thanks!

I may have to limit myself to just one or two a year until I win the lottery!

 

[pbrown7582]

There are some cheaper options too have a look through most of them on golf empire along with open comps, great way to play competative days out on your own.