I read What a Waste and thought.... thats me! (Bring on the abuse)

[DaveyG]

Morning All,

Surely this will stir a few people up and I am sure I will have a few on here thinking or telling me I am lying… I have nothing to gain by adding on distance to make my online balls any bigger!

After reading JustOnes post about the young lad who strikes a good ball but scores badly I found myself thinking “that’s me”

I have been playing for two years now and like most handicappers I have not even good days / bad days but good shots and awful shots. When I started playing there was enough in there for me to say I could be quite good at this in-between all of those awful shots and I instantly fell in love with the game. I would say over the last two years I have played on average at least 2/3 times – I have had help from 3 separate pro’s (the first I felt wasn’t a great teaching pro, second was amazing just too far for me to travel all of the time & my third is my club pro who I am having lessons with now).

Since the start of this year and membership my pro mentioned I have it in me but I really need to compact my swing. I am 6ft 6 and a biggish build. (Lying if I say slim but by no means a Rick Waller just a bit of a beer belly) The pro made two comments about my swing, 1 – I look like I am about to fall over afterwards and struggle with balance because it is so big & 2 – The backswing doesn’t need to be that long being so big.

He went through videos of Steve Stricker and said this is how I think you should swing a golf club – As always on the practise ground with him watching and me paying by the hour it was a dream but practising alone would bring up a mix of results – I have put in some serious hours this year spending probably 4 nights a week at the club and atleast one round a weekend (Were not married yet, next year I am sure will be different) and feel I am now getting abit more consistent but the reason for this post is… How am I still always roughly 20 shots over? I know short game will be the one that most people mention and I completely agree (I have a short game lesson booked tonight)

I have recently recorded my distances as there was nothing worse than putting a great shot on it only to see it fly the green and land in deep rough and my distances have really improved with a sound strike.
I used an 8iron and SW to measure a couple of distances and have since played around with other clubs on the course measuring them also via GPS.

Here are a few distances…

6iron – 180yards
7iron – 170yards
8iron – 160 yards
9iron – 150 yards
PW – 140yards
Gap – 130 yards
SW – 100 yards (hate that gap)
Now this is surely the point everyone is calling me a liar and cant believe anyone could hit it this far and you enjoy your opinion because I know exactly how far I hit the ball and have will gain nothing by telling people online who I am likely never going to meet.

So anyway like I said… I saw the post and thought sod it this is me – what do you recommend I do because I don’t want to be known for a bloke who can hit a ball far or takes two clubs less on a certain hole I want to be the best golfer I can. When people say work on your short game how, what do you do? What has worked for you?

My recent scores have been

Par 70 (sss 71)
91
92
87
93 – Yesterday with a disaster 10 on the last (par 5 3 off the tee and a mess in the trees)

Sorry for the long post and conscious I will have missed a few things here so ask away!

 

[chrisd]

My regular playing partner is 59 and hits pretty well those yardages, but, it's all flat out and he's obsessed with distance and not sorting out why his handicap has gone from 9 to 18!

 

[Rooter]

They are below forum average to be honest, i would go for some X-Stiff shafts and swing a bit harder.

In all honesty, those were about my distances before i calmed down and concentrated on direction. I would regularly knock it round mid 90's becuase of a few OOB, or having to rescue a poor tee shot or missing a green or 5... but have the capability to shoot 79 (i have done) but knocking a 7 iron 170yards is all well and good, but for me, it was 1 in 3 that went where i wanted it! I now hit my 7 iron 160 MAX if not 155, but now the consistency of direction is much much better and my scoring is improving with overall scores being more consistent. yes i still have shockers (as Fish will confirm), but as Pirelli said,

POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL

I now swing at about 75% of what i used to, and my game has improved no end!

 

[Stuey01]

You're around 10yards per iron longer than me.
I don't think there is anything particularly unbelievable about those yardages, especially for a fella of your size.

I shoot similar numbers to you, and know there is potential to be a good golfer in there.
Here are some things that I know hurt my scores:
1) wild driving. 3 off the tee or hitting into the crap is a good way to rack up some big numbers. It's largely irrelevant how accurate your iron game is if your second shot is often a manufactured punch from under trees that you have no chance of even getting close to the green with.
2) getting greedy and hitting too much club, I.e driver on a 320yard hole, leaving less than a full shot in. What take the risk off the tee, and leave a more difficult second shot, stupid yet I keep doing it.
3) chipping and putting. Improving in this area but I still don't get up and down as much as I should when just missing a green.

I'm trying to rein myself in a bit, hit a fairway or hybrid on short par 4 tee shots, and try not to murder my drives. Its nice to poke it out there, and every so often hitting a massive drive when it comes off and ends up in the fairway is a great feeling. But i reckon i'll score better being 20 yards back and in the fairway every time, so that's the plan.
I also know I need to stop going for the green in 2 on the 1st par 5 at my course. I know I can get there, have done, but it's too dangerous a second shot. The other par 5 is fine to go for.

In summary, course management and not trying to murder it every time.
Short game is all about practice.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I think your handicap is affected more significantly by how good your bad shots are. When the pros hit a bad approach shot they tend to hit the wrong part of the green, I tend to miss the green and leave a chip. When I've played with big hitting higher handicaps their bad shots seem to be totally wild putting them in all sorts of bother. Is that you?

 

[Hacker Khan]

Liar liar your pants on fire.....

My tip would be to learn how to hit the ball straight. 150 yards mostly straight with a 7 iron is better than 170 yards, 50% of those going off target.

 

[guest100718]

Plenty of people hit the ball a long way.

 

[Birchy]

Course management or short game must be costing you unless your smashing loads OB. How many short game lessons/ practice on it do you do?

 

[Andy808]

I think your handicap is affected more significantly by how good your bad shots are. When the pros hit a bad approach shot they tend to hit the wrong part of the green, I tend to miss the green and leave a chip. When I've played with big hitting higher handicaps their bad shots seem to be totally wild putting them in all sorts of bother. Is that you?

It's certainly sounds like me!
I can whack a ball a long way, according to my regular playing partners, but the bad shots leave in a lot of trouble. Our course is tight with knee high rough in the trees so anything off line by a few yards is pretty hard to find let alone hit. I have calmed down my swing over the last 6 months to gain control but the shots that are stray are still very very stray, either OOB or deep in the nasty stuff.
I'm also playing all or nothing golf at the moment. I either par the hole or it's a blob or nightmare hole which is even more frustrating at times as you know you can do it but trying to get the consistency to cut out the bad holes in driving me nuts.

Good luck and keep up the practice, it does make a massive difference.

 

[cookelad]

I think your handicap is affected more significantly by how good your bad shots are. When the pros hit a bad approach shot they tend to hit the wrong part of the green, I tend to miss the green and leave a chip. When I've played with big hitting higher handicaps their bad shots seem to be totally wild putting them in all sorts of bother. Is that you?

100% Agree with this statement!

Consistency isn't about making your good shots better but making your bad shots better!

 

[DaveyG]

Liar liar your pants on fire.....

My tip would be to learn how to hit the ball straight. 150 yards mostly straight with a 7 iron is better than 170 yards, 50% of those going off target.

As I say since restricting my swing (Steve S like) I am alot more accurate but obviously would benefit from more greens in reg etc.

I took an iron alot more off the tee yesterday and feel this did keep me out of trouble. I would agree with Stuey01's comments about why I add on shots and if I am honest I guess I need to be alot more conservative.

Im pretty confident now that when I hit GIR I will walk off with a par and the occasional birdie... however when I have gone a little wayward and that 2nd shot is a punch out onto the fairway I know I will make bogey most of the time with the occasional par.

In terms of how much short game practise do I do, I would say not alot but I have started - I think I wanted to get me swing repeatable enough to get around the course whilst I was spending so much money on getting it right... I am now prepared to dedicate time and have a very nice missus who lets me play whenever I want pretty much so what would you suggest doing?

I will ask the pro tonight of course but in terms of practise over say a week what do you do i.e Monday, Putting 45 minutes playing a game where I have to... Tuesday nothing etc


Sorry I know I am asking alot but I guess all I do is hit the practise range and play on the course and I really want to get down to the numbers I see on peoples signatures!

 

[Foxholer]

I quite often play with a guy who used to hit 60* 110! Huge Driver but occasionally wayward. Has been on 6 different fairways on 1 hole at his course!

For quite a while, he didn't have a shot for 100 or under!

Now reigned back a bit - not enormously as still 3 clubs longer than me - but now more controlled. Occasionally seems to slip back into old ways. Shot 80 with a bad back where he could (only) hit half shots was a vast improvement on the recent full-fitness low 90s!

Course Management, flowing swing and short game skills seem to be the key!

 

[Ian_S]

I'm trying hard not to be that golfer. So often I've played people comment on my striking and laugh at my 20 handicap, but then I'll come in with a 90odd.

Course management is a huge part of it. Take a situation where I have a long iron second into a par 4 where the pin is near the front and is protected by a bunker. If I hit my iron well, I'll probably score par, unless I hit a peach and give myself a short putt. If I come up short, I'll be bogey or worse depending on how it lies in the bunker. Or, I could take aim at a safe part of the course short of the green but leaving myself a relatively simple chip. From there, par is very getable, bogey is worst case and I'm as likely to chip in for birdie as I am to stiff my long iron to a makeable birdie putt.

A low handicap golfer would probably go at the pin, as their irons are more reliable and bunker game better if they do come up short. A high handicapper such as myself should be looking at getting myself into position to have a 50/50 chance of par. Par half the holes, bogey the other half and you're 9 over - a pretty useful round for someone that normally scores in the 90s.

 

[gdc]

It's very difficult to say without seeing you play.

I would suggest downloading a stats app (golfshot I believe is good) and you should be able to see a pretty clear indication of where you are going wrong after a few rounds. Post the result on the forum and I'm sure you'll get lots of help.

 

[garyinderry]

my advice to 20 handicaps would be to try and par the par3's , par 5's and any short par 4's. stay well clear of long approaches. you have absolutely no need to be doing that.

if you can do this, you will romp home with bogies on the hard holes and get a substantial cut.


its the same as when pros mark out which holes they will take par at and move on. not every hole is a birdie chance for them.

 

[Matty]

I read the same original thread and just thought it was an indication that people play this wonderful game for a low of reasons and sometimes our reasons will be at opposite ends of a spectrum.

Some people will be competitive and play comps, want to win and will want the lowest possible handicap.

Others will simply enjoy being outdoor swing a funny looking stick at a small, usually white, dimpled ball.

 

[Junior]

I think your handicap is affected more significantly by how good your bad shots are. When the pros hit a bad approach shot they tend to hit the wrong part of the green, I tend to miss the green and leave a chip. When I've played with big hitting higher handicaps their bad shots seem to be totally wild putting them in all sorts of bother. Is that you?

Given your situation I would completely agree with this . I'm also a fan of 'level 5's' for high handicapper. inevitably, you will make some pars , but by making no worse than a 5 on each hole, your course management will improve considerably.

 

[londonlewis]

They are below forum average to be honest, i would go for some X-Stiff shafts and swing a bit harder.

In all honesty, those were about my distances before i calmed down and concentrated on direction. I would regularly knock it round mid 90's becuase of a few OOB, or having to rescue a poor tee shot or missing a green or 5... but have the capability to shoot 79 (i have done) but knocking a 7 iron 170yards is all well and good, but for me, it was 1 in 3 that went where i wanted it! I now hit my 7 iron 160 MAX if not 155, but now the consistency of direction is much much better and my scoring is improving with overall scores being more consistent. yes i still have shockers (as Fish will confirm), but as Pirelli said,

POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL

I now swing at about 75% of what i used to, and my game has improved no end!

I think Rooter read my mind and responded with answer too.
When I first started to play golf I would really go after it - thinking I needed extra special distance with every club.
The more I learn, the more I begin to control my swing speed and have really reined it in. I used to hit 8-iron 150 but now use my 7-iron to hit that shot.
I will often take one more club than my playing partner who took up the sport a year ago. The funny thing is, I will hit more greens than him and my misses are less severe than his. He just goes after everything with force and it is probably 1 in 4 that pay off.

Another great example was last night at the driving range. A guy two bays down from me was trying to split every ball in half with his swing speed. The results were horrendous - the disparity of distance and direction was vast - he would hook it and slice it but every once in a while he would smash one miles down the range (which will be the only shot he mentally records so he can affirm his approach to the game is spot on).

to the initial gent with the problem - why not look at Robert Karlson's swing and how he controls his balance - I think he is 6'6" as well so it could be a good guide for you.

 

[mikeb4]

personally i would get rid of the callaway sw and the 60 degree wedge, obvs keep youre PW and then go 52 get rid of the 60 and put a 58 in, A 3 hybrid and a 4 iron ? ditch the 4 and 5 iron and get a good 4 hybrid, again just my opinion, also get a putting matt for the house, big help to all golfers, ps good luck and importantly enjoy youre golf.

 

[DaveyG]

personally i would get rid of the callaway sw and the 60 degree wedge, obvs keep youre PW and then go 52 get rid of the 60 and put a 58 in, A 3 hybrid and a 4 iron ? ditch the 4 and 5 iron and get a good 4 hybrid, again just my opinion, also get a putting matt for the house, big help to all golfers, ps good luck and importantly enjoy youre golf.

Oops its a little out of date. I don't have the 60 degree anymore I gave it to a bush!

Yeah I think Hybrids may be the way forward and a 58.

Cheers