Just love golf....

[Losttheplot]

For a few months now my golf has been average to poor at the best of times with the odd shot of half decency in there.

Well I played yesterday in non stop rain and tried a tactic I realised I slipped out of. Instead of hitting hard 95% full irons i dropped a club and swung easy (still with conviction).
I did the same with the driver and just swung easy and with more rhythm.
The results were fantastic, shot an 84 off the whites, considering the greens were being weathered and the non stop rain I was chuffed. Not quite playing to my handicap but all things considered it's a big step for me in the right direction. happy days.

 

[Smiffy]

The results were fantastic, shot an 84 off the whites

Cushty!!
But could you keep it going on an 18 hole course????

 

[Losttheplot]

The results were fantastic, shot an 84 off the whites

Cushty!!
But could you keep it going on an 18 hole course????

Well by the 8th par 3 in a row I was a little concerned!

 

[vacancesdegolf]

Practice makes perfect

That's nice, constant practice makes perfect. Where did you practice yesterday?

 

[sawtooth]

Re: Practice makes perfect

That's nice, constant practice makes perfect. Where did you practice yesterday?

Only if you practice the right things.

San Diego Golf Course?

Played quite a bit over there, Coronado G.C., Cottonwood, EastLake - They were the days.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Another example of accuracy over distance. You can try and muller an eight iron or hit a nice, smooth seven iron.

The eight iron could go anywhere whereas the seven iron will more likely go to its intended target.

 

[USER1999]

And probably just as far as if you larraped it.

 

[Losttheplot]

Another example of accuracy over distance. You can try and muller an eight iron or hit a nice, smooth seven iron.

The eight iron could go anywhere whereas the seven iron will more likely go to its intended target.

With the driver I didn't see a change in distance but with irons there was the drop expected. Just goes to show it's down to timing and rhythm.

 

[The_LHC]

Trouble I have with that idea is that I can't hit a "soft" shot, trying to do that means I don't swing properly at all, it becomes a nothing shot, a lazy, half-assed swing, with about the result you'd expect, nothing. I can hit a 3/4 shot (although I DO overswing, so it's probably more like a normal full shot for you lot), which loses a little distance but on balance probably isn't any more accurate than the full shot.

 

[Losttheplot]

Yeah I know where your coming from. For me I was hitting it about 85-90% so not easing off it too much just hitting through the ball not trying to smash it into tomorrow. It's like before I was trying to hit a 7 iron 165 carry and stop it dead. That's probably the max I could hit a 7 iron and that's hitting it as hard as I can. Now I was hitting a 6 iron fairly solid just not trying to smash it at all. Swinging through the ball. Really pleased with it because last year I was doing the same and shooting consistently around 80-84. This year all I've done is try to leather it to the maximum limit and I've had a nightmare of a season since about April. I know what I'll be doing for the rest of the year.

 

[The_LHC]

Ah ok, from that perspective, I guess my normal shot is what I'd consider 100% (most people would consider that pretty wild though, I can see my driver head with my left eye at the "top" of my backswing for example), with the proviso that I could hit the ball 115% if I wanted to but it's not often I want to, in fact the only time I would is if I've got driver in my hand and I'm not confident of clearing a hazard or something, then I'll really give it a go. I'd never do that with an iron though, I'd just take an extra club.

But I can't throttle back on a shot, not taking a full swing anyway.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I struggle when I try and hit a "lazy" swing with one more club. The swing becomes just that and I don't turn properly and the whole thing goes out of synch. I never swing at 100% anyway but know my 95% quick swing works best for my game and so adjust my club selection based on whether I'm looking front or back of the green and the wind speed and direction

 

[link80]

Ah ok, from that perspective, I guess my normal shot is what I'd consider 100% (most people would consider that pretty wild though, I can see my driver head with my left eye at the "top" of my backswing for example), with the proviso that I could hit the ball 115% if I wanted to but it's not often I want to, in fact the only time I would is if I've got driver in my hand and I'm not confident of clearing a hazard or something, then I'll really give it a go. I'd never do that with an iron though, I'd just take an extra club.

But I can't throttle back on a shot, not taking a full swing anyway.

Somebody else who doesn't understand percentages. If your hitting it 100%, then you can't go any higher, you will never hit it 115%. 100% is maximum effort, absolute total, to give any more would mean you weren't giving 100% in the first place.
Sorry about the rant, just a bugbear of mine.

 

[bobmac]

Somebody else who doesn't understand percentages. If your hitting it 100%, then you can't go any higher, you will never hit it 115%. 100% is maximum effort, absolute total, to give any more would mean you weren't giving 100% in the first place.
Sorry about the rant, just a bugbear of mine.

I agree with you 110 %

 

[Losttheplot]

Somebody else who doesn't understand percentages. If your hitting it 100%, then you can't go any higher, you will never hit it 115%. 100% is maximum effort, absolute total, to give any more would mean you weren't giving 100% in the first place.
Sorry about the rant, just a bugbear of mine.

I agree with you 110 %

 

[Nikki]

Me too had something similar the day before yesterday...

I was just too hungover to really force the shot.

My regular playing partner said:

"You should get pissed more often!"








And to a certain extent I agree. It did teach me to make a smooth swing instead of a forced one. I have got a better idea how to strike a ball now.

 

[Losttheplot]

It's amazing how these little things come along and gives you a boost and a bit of a reality check to make you realise something you've been doing wrong and what to do about it.
It's a great game isn't it!!

 

[bobmac]

Ok, it's fun every now and then to give the driver a bit of welly but it's a different kettle of fish when it comes to the irons.
When someone asks me what I hit I always reply with
"an easy 4, 6, 8" or whatever
I just think I've got plenty of club here so don't thrash it.

 

[The_LHC]

Ah ok, from that perspective, I guess my normal shot is what I'd consider 100% (most people would consider that pretty wild though, I can see my driver head with my left eye at the "top" of my backswing for example), with the proviso that I could hit the ball 115% if I wanted to but it's not often I want to, in fact the only time I would is if I've got driver in my hand and I'm not confident of clearing a hazard or something, then I'll really give it a go. I'd never do that with an iron though, I'd just take an extra club.

But I can't throttle back on a shot, not taking a full swing anyway.

Somebody else who doesn't understand percentages. If your hitting it 100%, then you can't go any higher, you will never hit it 115%. 100% is maximum effort, absolute total, to give any more would mean you weren't giving 100% in the first place.
Sorry about the rant, just a bugbear of mine.

Well you can stuff it up your arse mate, my 100% shot is the one I hit all the time, it's my full shot, that's why I designated it as 100%. The one I described as 115% is a ridiculous crazy slash that I only use if I'm mucking about and I only ever do it with the driver, I never try it with an iron, there's no point.

I think I made it quite clear that I was drawing a distinction between those (better) players who say that they only hit at 85% for control reasons but will push it up to 90-95% to gain a little more distance, that's something that I'm just not capable of doing, I have to commit to a full shot each time. There is more available but not with anything that looks like a regulation golf shot (at least not as far as the finishing position is concerned).

In this case the idea of 100% is a conceptual one, in as much as that's the maximum I'd ever give it, under normal circumstances, therefore, it's 100%.